Actor Priyanka Chopra has made a desperate appeal to US President Joe Biden urging his administration to consider releasing excess vaccines to India, which is going through its worst human catastrophes for generations. Priyanka wrote, “My heart breaks. India is suffering from COVID19 & the US has ordered 550M more vaccines than needed.”
Tagging Joe Biden, White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Priyanka wrote, “Thx for sharing AstraZeneca worldwide, but the situation in my country is critical. Will you urgently share vaccines w/ India? #vaxlive.”
My heart breaks. India is suffering from COVID19 & the US has ordered 550M more vaccines than needed @POTUS @WHCOS @SecBlinken @JakeSullivan46 Thx for sharing AstraZeneca worldwide, but the situation in my country is critical. Will you urgently share vaccines w/ India? #vaxlive
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) April 26, 2021
Many felt that Priyanka ought to have made this appeal at least two weeks ago. Others criticised her for inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to her wedding calling the Indian premier the ‘Donald Trump equivalent.’ User Dimple George wrote on Twitter, “I wish you would this boldly ask the Indian government to help its people. Instead you invite their Trump equivalent to your wedding.” User Prabhakar Pandey commented, “This tweet was required Atleast 2 weeks back. You shouldn’t have waited for #VaxLive campaign to tweet for your fellow countrymen.”
Biden on Sunday extended his administration’s support to India. A tweet from the US President’s official Twitter handle had said, “Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need.”
His tweet was followed by a phone call on Monday when he once again pledged his country’s support in combating the spread of the second wave of the pandemic. “Today, I spoke with Prime Minister @narendramodi and pledged America’s full support to provide emergency assistance and resources in the fight against COVID-19. India was there for us, and we will be there for them,” Biden wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, the pandemic has continued to wreak havoc in several parts of India with tens of thousands of people dying every day.