Thread by @beastoftraal

There are 2 editorials (ET, Mint) on how botched the Govt's vaccination (non)policy is. Plus, 2 opinion pieces (Indian Express and ET) on the same topic. That's 4 voices in one day. 1/7

2/7 One specific angle that demands attention (Sukanta's ET piece): "The Punjab government is even approaching the international body Covax. Why should Covax deal with a sub-national entity? And what would be the impact on India’s image and international leverage?"

3/7 Partha Mukhopadhyay said this in Hindustan Times, on May 11th: "We must stop shadowboxing. In no other federal country are sub-national governments competing to buy vaccines."

4/7 Indian Express editorial on May 14th highlighted this: "The new policy has fragmented the vaccine market, making the 28 states of the Indian Union separate entities in their negotiations with manufacturers. No other country has resorted to such senseless laissez faire."

5/7 I have already explained how and why the 'States asked for it" canard floated by BJP is completely absurd and mocks/boomerangs on BJP itself, in turn, besides making Modi seem like a dud who cannot even think.

6/7 Coomi Kapoor too exposes this clearly in today's Indian Express piece: "The Centre abdicated its responsibility, perhaps aware that in the chaos which would follow such a move, the blame would now have to be shared by the Opposition governments and the Centre."

7/7 That we have sub-national entities like States forced to compete with each other, on their own, globally, for a life-saving vaccine, while the Center has abdicated its responsibility is a clear example of BJP putting the party's and Modi's image before India's own image.