Never allowed BJP to buy or give away Remdesivir: Maharashtra FDA minister
Mumbai, Apr 21: Amid a political slugfest over Remdesivir, Maharashtra FDA Minister Rajendra Shingne has denied claims of the BJP that he had allowed the saffron party or any individual to purchase or distribute the injections, which are in high demand for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Shingne alleged the BJP was spreading wrong information even as he acknowledged that some leaders of the saffron party had approached him earlier on Remdesivir.
"No organisation or political party has the permission to purchase or distribute Remdesivir in the name of helping COVID-19 patients. The party (BJP) is spreading unnecessarily wrong information in various forms of media," the Foods and Drug Administration (FDA) minister told reporters on Tuesday night.
Mumbai police had last Saturday questioned Rajesh Dokania, director of Daman-based Bruck pharma, over the alleged excess stock of the Remdesivir drug.
However, the questioning took a political turn when senior BJP leaders, including former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar, rushed to the police station and questioned the police's move to grill Dokania.
Fadnavis had admitted that BJP leaders had contacted Bruck Pharma to supply the stock to Maharashtra as the state is facing a shortage of Remdesivir vials.
"We even informed the state FDA minister (Shingne) about it and approached the Union government seeking necessary permissions. Some Maharashtra BJP leaders went to Daman recently to meet Bruck Pharma officials, requesting them to sell their exportable stock in Maharashtra," he had said.
Against this backdrop, Shingne said, "It is true that BJP leaders had approached me but I had not given any permission to the party or any individual to purchase or distribute Remdesivir injections".
The NCP, which is one of the constituents in the Shiv Sena-led MVA government, had on Sunday accused the BJP of trying to ensure that Maharashtra does not get Remdesivir stock, and wondered why state BJP leaders got scared when Mumbai police questioned Dokania.
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Party remains robust, will bounce back, says DMK
Chennai (PTI): Dismissing the shock defeat in the Assembly election as nothing unusual in a democracy, the DMK on Wednesday said it has seen several ups and downs in its long history and asserted that the party workers and office-bearers continue to be energetic and are committed to continuing the good work for people's welfare.
Tracing the party's chequered history, DMK Organisation Secretary RS Bharathi said in 1991 Assembly polls, only the party's late patriarch M Karunanidhi and Parithi Ilamvazhuthi won from Harbour and Egmore segments respectively out of the 234 constituencies in the state.
"So, who can forget 1991? That year we lost. But we bounced back and formed the government in 1996. In our long history of over 7 decades we have seen lots of ups and downs and party workers show determination and continue the good work even when out of power," the DMK leader told PTI.
He said the difference in vote share between his party (24.19 per cent) and the "winning party" (34.92 per cent) is not "very wide."
Bharathi expressed confidence about the party bouncing back and once again emerging victorious.
He and others cited the message of DMK President M K Stalin, thanking the people and asserting that ideology was important rather than victories and defeats alone.
On May 4, the DMK chief asserted that he had seen in his public life, lot of victories and defeats as well. Hence, it is the goal and ideology that was paramount and not merely electoral victories and defeats.
The DMK, which worked efficiently as the ruling party, would from now on work effectively as the main opposition party.
He had further said: "I was truthful to all sections of people; I acted as per conscience, worked beyond my capacity."
Stalin said: "I bow to people's verdict, DMK worked well as ruling party, from now on will be good opposition party. DMK's political journey will continue without any slackness."
When votes were counted on May 4, actor-politician Vijay's TVK created a record of sorts in the electoral history of Tamil Nadu and emerged as the single largest party by delivering a shock defeat to incumbent DMK and its president, Chief Minister Stalin in his Kolathur constituency, while the AIADMK was pushed to a distant third spot.
Vijay and TVK have many firsts to their credit and the party founder will be the first person from a minority religion -Christianity- to helm the state. The assembly election was held on April 23 in Tamil Nadu.
கழகத் தலைவர் மு.க.ஸ்டாலின் அவர்களின் அறிக்கை
— DMK (@arivalayam) May 5, 2026
நடந்து முடிந்த தமிழ்நாடு சட்டமன்றப் பொதுத் தேர்தலில் திராவிட முன்னேற்றக் கழகத்தின் தலைமையிலான மதச்சார்பற்ற முற்போக்குக் கூட்டணிக் கட்சியின் வேட்பாளர்களுக்கு வாக்களித்த தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்கள் அனைவருக்கும் எனது மனமார்ந்த நன்றியை உண்மை… pic.twitter.com/LQtrACGK0z
