Coronavirus | Allowing hydroxychloroquine export not in national interest: Congress

Trump’s statement completely unacceptable: Yechury

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. File

The Opposition criticised the Union government for the quick capitulation in the face of a veiled threat by United States President Donald Trump on the ban on export of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine . The Government of India lifted the ban within hours of Mr. Trump’s comments.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to argue that Indians have the first right over life-saving medicines during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Friendship isn’t about retaliation. India must help all nations in their hour of need but lifesaving medicines should be made available to Indians in ample quantities first,” he said without mentioning President Trump's name.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that though the Congress valued and cherished India's friendship with the U.S., it saw Mr. Trump's language as ‘unwarranted’.

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“Pradhan Mantri ji, India can neither be threatened nor can it bow down before anyone. Today, in the battle against COVID-19 by the 130 crore Indians, what is most important is the availability of life-saving drugs like hydroxychloroquine,” he said at an official press conference through video conferencing.

 

Allowing the export of hydroxychloroquine by bowing down before a foreign power cannot be in national interest, he said. “Modi ji , we request you with folded hands to adopt India and Indians first policy. The government should think deeply about the export of essential medicines as our citizens have the first right over them”.

Shocking: Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed shock over the language used by President Trump. “Never in my decades of experience in world affairs have I heard a Head of State or Govt openly threatening another like this. What makes Indian hydroxychloroquine "our supply", Mr President? It only becomes your supply when India decides to sell it to you,” he tweeted.

Govt has let down India: Yechury

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the statement by the U.S. President was completely unacceptable. “But Modi govt has succumbed to the threat by allowing the export. That this happened after an expensive gala was organised for him by Modi, instead of preparing to contain Covid-19, shows how this govt has let down India,” he tweeted.

Senior TMC leader and Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy said that while the humanitarian gesture made by the Indian government was welcome, it should have raised concern over the language used by Mr. Trump. “While it is good to help a friend, the language used by President Trump was shocking. Our Prime Minister should have reached to the threat. It’s alright to lift the ban as an humanitarian gesture,” he said.

Senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj K Jha said the language used by Mr. Trump was unprecedented and the clarification issued by the Ministry of External Affairs Ministry was even worse. “Even when India was not aiming to become a five trillion dollar economy, its political position was much more stout and robust,” he said.