A day after the Punjab government asked private hospitals to return all vaccine stock meant for the 18-44 age group and ordered a probe into the allegations, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday (5 June) criticised the Congress-led Punjab government for allegedly selling COVID-19 vaccine doses procured from central government to private hospitals at a higher rate.

"The Congress government of Punjab is buying COVID-19 vaccines at Rs 400 (each) from the Centre and selling them to private hospitals at Rs 1,060 instead of passing on the benefits to the people through government hospitals. Profiteering during an emergency is indecent, inhuman, condemnable and extremely saddening," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

"This makes it clear that Congress' stand and statements on vaccines so far lacked seriousness. The BSP demands that the Centre take cognisance of this," she said, reports The Economic Times.

After the allegations, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that vaccine doses were recalled and will be administered for free by the government.

Addressing a virtual press conference on Saturday (5 June) on the allegation that surfaced against the Punjab government, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, "Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been asking 'where are our children's vaccines?' In Congress ruled Rajasthan, vaccines are being dumped in garbage, while in Punjab people are making a profit out of it. This is the culture of Congress."