Lucknow, May 21 (IANS): Miffed over the Opposition's 'negative' politics even in times of crisis, Uttar Pradesh government spokesman and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Siddhartha Nath Singh said on Friday that it is highly disgraceful and inhuman that the two major political 'leaders' are just engaged in spreading fear and lies for their petty political gains.

"During such challenging times and amid a prevailing pandemic, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav should focus on helping people instead of trading in politics of lies," he said.

Singh further asserted that the opposition leaders, desperate to regain lost political ground, are solely engaged in political stunts instead of helping the people.

Calling out Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Singh said that the former has time and again raised questions on the ongoing vaccination drive and has tried to topple the efficient working of the Uttar Pradesh government instead of understanding the pain and sufferings of the common people.

He further added that Uttar Pradesh is the only state to administer as many as 1,58,41,256 doses of the vaccine so far, accounting for the maximum number of people being inoculated.

In addition, the Phase III of the vaccination drive is also being conducted in a planned and organised manner as per the instructions issued by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. A total of 8,52,234 vaccines have been administered to people aged 18-44 so far, he said.

Lashing out at Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the minister held Priyanka responsible for spreading lies and scare amid the Covid crisis and termed her strategy as a 'shamelessly selfish move' in order to regain the lost position of her political party in the state.

"Instead of trying to cause obstruction in the working of the government, the Congress should help the common man hit by the pandemic," Singh said.