New Delhi: Coming down heavily on opposition parties for criticising the Centre’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said in Rajya Sabha that the credit for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic goes to “citizens and not the government.”
“India has come up with more than one vaccine for the novel coronavirus within a year and the country proved wrong all those who raised apprehensions,” Mr Modi said.
While hitting out at opposition parties, the PM said criticism is fine but don’t indulge in acts that can break confidence of the country, adding that corona warriors should be respected.
“India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio, smallpox. Nobody knew whether the country will get a vaccine or how many people will get it. From those days, we’re now here, when our nation is making vaccines for world. This increases our self-confidence,” Modi said, adding that the country was once called a “third-world” nation.
“India emerged as pharmacy of world during pandemic, delivered medicines to 150 countries,” he added.
Hailing the corona fight of the country, he said, today, world appreciates India’s efforts in saving humanity; credit goes to India and we should be proud of it.”
“The COVID-19 period has added new strength to our federal structure and the spirit of cooperative federalism. Worldwide, people have accepted that India played a crucial role in battling the pandemic,” he added.