Gujarat Oppn Leader files PIL against BJP chief for Remdesivir distribution

Gandhinagar: The Leader of Opposition (LOP) in Gujarat state assembly, Paresh Dhanani filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Gujarat High Court on Thursday against the BJP state chief C.R. Patil and the BJP MLA Harsh Sanghavi for illegally acquiring, stocking and distributing, Remdesivir injections in Surat.

The PIL was filed through advocate and activist Anand Yagnik.

In the PIL, Dhanani has pointed that by distributing 5,000 remdesivir injections, Patil has violated Articles 14, 19, 21 and 226 of the Constitution of India and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, the Pharmacy Act, 1948.

Dhanani has also included the Majura constituency BJP MLA, Harsh Sanghavi in the case against Patil and has sought inclusion of the Gujarat state government and the Health and Family Welfare Department of Gujarat to be included as respondents in the case.

Dhanani in his PIL has pointed out that even though Patil and Sanghavi are not registered pharmacists, nor do they hold any legal capacity to purchase, hoard and distribute the drug, they hoarded the injections and distributed them from the BJP Party office in Surat. These injections were distributed to those in need of the same in the desperate times of covid-19, particularly when there was a shortage of these injections.

(With IANS inputs)