Maharashtra: What Is The Fight About Between BJP And Uddhav Government Over Remdesivir

Mumbai, 18 April 2021: In Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has come face-to-face over the supply of anti-viral drug Remdesivir which is required for the treatment of serious COVID patients. BJP leaders opposed the interrogation of the employee of a pharma company accused of hiding the stock of Remdesivir.

In fact, the Mumbai Police had questioned the director of the pharma company for hoarding the stock of Remdesivir drugstore. “They had stored at least 60,000 vials,” said a police officer.

Due to a severe shortage of Remdesivir, there has been rampant black marketing of the anti-viral injection. Therefore, the Maharashtra government has banned its sale at medical stores. Only hospitals have been authorised to provide the injection directly to the patient at a government rate.

The BJP has objected to the Mumbai Police questioning the director of the pharma company. The BJP says that the Shiv Sena-led government in the state is doing politics amid the epidemic. In response, leaders of the ruling coalition alleged that the BJP is pressurizing the Mumbai Police as this party cares more for industrialists than the common man.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “We had requested Brook Pharma four days ago to supply Remdesivir but could not do so due to non-approval. I spoke to Union Minister Mansukh Mandavia and we got approval from FDA (Food and Drug Administration).”

Fadnavis claimed that the officer on special duty (OSD) of a minister in the Maharashtra government had called the pharma company official and asked him how he could supply Remdesivir on the appeal of opposition parties. Fadnavis alleged that the police personnel caught the director of the pharma company from his house on Saturday night. He described the action as unthinkable.

Fadnavis said that BJP leaders from Maharashtra had recently visited Daman and met Brook Pharma officials. He was also requested to sell stock kept for export in Maharashtra.

He said, “On behalf of the company, they were told that if the Central and State Governments approve, they will sell the entire stock to Maharashtra.”