Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi calls for immediate halt to export of Covid-19 vaccines

India's opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called for an immediate halt to export of Covid-19 vaccines amid a record-setting spike in fresh cases of the virus.

As India grapples with a deadlier second wave of the pandemic, Rahul sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi listing seven demands including an immediate moratorium on vaccine export and open vaccination to everyone who needs it, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The other demands of the Congress leader include providing vaccine suppliers with necessary financial resources to expand manufacturing capacity, fast-tracking the approval process of other vaccines as per norms and guidelines, increasing the allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for vaccine procurement, as announced in the budget this year, and allowing states a greater say in vaccine procurement and distribution.

"Historically, India has achieved abundant experience in designing and executing some of the world's biggest vaccination programmes. Yet in the present case, we have managed to fully vaccinate less than one per cent of the population in three months," Rahul wrote in his letter.

Rahul's demand for a halt to export came a day after the Indian government reiterated there was no ban on supplying made-in-India vaccines abroad but it would be done prioritising domestic requirement.