The Maharashtra Congress on Saturday accused the Centre of stopping the supply of Remdesivir, a key medicine in the treatment of Covid-19, to the state due to a "lust for power".
In a release, the party's state unit spokesperson Sachin Sawant alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre had asked firms manufacturing Remdesivir to not supply vials to Maharashtra, threatening them with revocation of licenses if they failed to adhere to the diktat.
He claimed the state was not being given medical equipment, oxygen and vaccines by the Narendra Modi government, adding that "against this backdrop, the Central government is arm twisting Remdesivir manufacturing companies so that Maharashtra does not get Remdesivir injections now".
"Such brutal politics is a disgrace to humanity" he said, and claimed history would note that "modern Nero", an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was busy with electioneering in West Bengal "while the country was burning".
Sawant said it was unfortunate that the Centre was trying to get the Maharashtra government in trouble while the latter was giving its best to tackle a severe surge in cases.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the Covid-19 situation in the country would not have been this bleak if the Centre had taken the advice of his party leader Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi's suggestions were rejected due to the "arrogance" of the Centre, Patole claimed.