COVID-19: Delhi Govt looted our tanker carrying medical oxygen, says Haryana Minister Anil Vij

Haryana Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday alleged that a tanker carrying medical oxygen for COVID patients in hospitals, which was going from Panipat to Faridabad, was ''looted'' by the Delhi government and said all oxygen tankers will now move with a police escort.

Vij also said given the increased demand for oxygen due to a surge in coronavirus cases, Haryana can spare the supply for others only after the state meets its own demand.

Interacting with reporters, the health and home minister, while referring to the tanker incident, said, ''If governments indulge in such activities, it will result in chaos,'' he said.

''We will write to Delhi government officials about this incident,'' he added.

He further claimed that pressure was being exerted on the state to give medical oxygen to Delhi. The minister said the two neighbouring states from which Haryana earlier got its supply have stopped the supply to meet their own demand.

''We used to get supply from Baddi in Himachal Pradesh and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan but the governments there have stopped the supply,'' he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Tuesday urged the Centre "with folded hands" to provide medical oxygen to Delhi and his deputy Manish Sisodia said there will be chaos in the city if the stocks are not replenished by Wednesday morning.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia hs, meanwhile, alleged that an official of the Haryana government stopped oxygen supply to Delhi from a plant in Faridabad.

Sisodia said the Centre decides the quota of oxygen for states and the AAP govt had been demanding that the Centre increase Delhi's quota of oxygen from 378 metric tonnes to 700 metric tonnes. The central government is yet to take a step in this direction, he said.

"We again demand that the Centre increase our oxygen quota to 700 MT in view of the increased consumption. Patients from several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, are admitted in city hospitals," Sisodia said at a press conference.