Centre Blocking Remdesivir Supply To Maharashtra, Alleges NCP's Nawab Malik

The BJP, which is in power at the Centre, was more interested in winning elections than tackling the coronavirus crisis, Nawab Malik said.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Saturday alleged that the central government has asked export companies to not supply antiviral drug Remdesivir to the state even as Maharashtra continues to report the highest numbers of daily cases. The BJP, which is in power at the Centre, was more interested in winning elections than tackling the coronavirus crisis, he said. The BJP hit back saying that Nawab Malik should either give proof or apologise for the "false" and "baseless" allegations, and said the minister should step down from his post. Mr Malik's allegations come days after the Centre banned the export of Remdesivir injections amid a sudden spike in demand due to the massive surge in coronavirus cases. Remdesivir is listed for use in serious coronavirus patients in the Clinical Management Protocols for COVID-19 as an investigational therapy.