Panaji, Jun 19 (PTI) Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must express regret as the Centre had failed the people of the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rao said people did not die of the infection alone, but also due to lack of oxygen, medicines, vaccine doses as well as poor condition of hospitals.

If vaccination certificates have the photograph of the prime minister, then shouldn't he and the Centre be taking responsibility for the lakhs of COVID-19 deaths, Rao asked.

On a tour of Goa, Rao told reporters that the prime minister and his party organised massive rallies to win the West Bengal elections, and the Centre allowed the Kumbh Mela to take place in Haridwar, all leading to a huge spike in cases nationwide.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)