Congress takes up medicine price-rise

The Congress has taken up the issue of the rise in the prices of life-saving drugs ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, saying that it has already conveyed this to the finance minister. Responding to a question on the rise in the prices of life-saving drugs, AICC spokesperson R.P.N. Singh said “our senior leaders, in fact, have written to the finance minister... on how it will affect the poor man”.

While drawing attention to how the rates of life-saving drugs have been increased to the extent of 25 to 30 per cent, he pointed out how medicines and treatment for cancer, TB and other diseases were becoming costlier.

“No drug for curing haemophilia is ever produced in India and even duty on the same is increased by the Government of India. People run for shots of rabies, the drug which was available for `2,750 is now available for `7,000 in villages. Where should aam aadmi go Is this the same government which had vowed to help the poor ” he asked.

Latching on to recent revelations made by Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley on the Mumbai terror strike, Mr Singh attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to pursue matters with Pakistan “beyond just optics”.

Reminding the BJP that it used to allege that the UPA government was “soft on terror”, he said any meaningful engagement with Pakistan has to take into account that there should be an immediate embargo on the part of the Pakistani Army and the ISI in supporting anti-India groups and activities.

“There should be a total ban on anti-India terror outfits like LeT, HuM, JuD, JeM and United Jihad Council and extradition of known terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Syed Salahuddin, Musht-aq Ahmed Zargar, Mau-lana Masood Azhar, Daw-ood Ibrahim and others.”

“We want to make it absolutely clear that national interest alone must govern the Modi government’s actions and policies on these issues,” he said.