New Delhi, May 2 (IANS): Thirteen top opposition leaders on Sunday jointly called on the Narendra Modi government to launch free mass vaccinations to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, as well as ensure oxygen supplies to hospitals across the country.

"In times of the uncontrollable surge of the pandemic across our country, we call upon the Central government to focus all attention in ensuring the uninterrupted flow of oxygen supplies to all hospitals and health centres across the country.

"We call upon the Central government to immediately launch a free mass vaccination programme across the country," said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren, DMK chief M.K. Stalin, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Communist Party of India-Marxist chief Sitaram Yechury and Communist Party of India's D. Raja, in the joint statement.

"The budgetary allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for the vaccination programme must be utilised for this," they added.