PM's tears cannot save people but oxygen can: Rahul takes swipe at Modi over COVID-19 handling

"In the second wave many died needless deaths... we couldn't provide them with oxygen. The Prime Minister's tears cannot wipe the tears of families who lost family members... his tears cannot save them, oxygen can. But he didn't take it seriously as his focus was on Bengal (elections)," Gandhi said on Tuesday virtually.

He has also released a white paper, a blueprint to tackle the coronavirus pandemic as the country is expecting a third wave of the contagion.

"The idea behind our White Paper report on #COVID19 is to provide insights & information so that avoidable deaths can be prevented in the coming waves. GOI must work on our constructive inputs in the interest of the country," the Wayanad Lok Sabha MP tweeted.

Ever since the second wave of COVID-19 struck the country early this year, the Modi government came under heavy criticism as several people were seen suffering due to shortage of oxygen in hospitals, which were overburdened with coronavirus patients.

The images of pyres running round the clock drew strong remarks from across the country as the COVID-19 toll breached all existing records.

Moreover, the shortage of vaccines had added more worries to the Centre, which has now decided to procure 75 per cent of vaccine production and distribute them among states.