New Delhi, May 27 (IANS): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed the Narendra Modi-led Central government over the Covid vaccine shortage in the country, wondering why India is facing a shortage despite being one of the leading manufacturers of vaccines, adding the government owes an answer to the people on this issue.

In a tweet, she attached a 30-second video in which she can be heard saying why is India, one of the leading manufacturers of vaccines, facing a shortage of it?

"Why were orders for vaccines placed in January 2021 when the other countries placed theirs in the summer of 2020?" she wondered.

She further sought to know why the government exported six crore vaccines to other countries. "The government of India owes an answer to people of India and we have to ask the questions and they will have to answer," she added.

The Congress leader has been critical of the government over the vaccine shortage.

On Wednesday, she asked the government about the shortage of vaccines in the country in her series of "Jimmedar Kaun" (who is responsible) posts.

She has asked three specific questions from the government on her Facebook page -- "When the Prime Minister is saying that they were ready with the plan of vaccination, then why did the government only order 1.60 crore vaccines and why did the government export vaccines at the cost of Indians, and when India is the largest manufacturer of the vaccine, why did it have to import?"

She said these are the questions people of India want to ask the government.

India has been hit hard by Covid in the second wave. On Monday, India crossed a grim milestone of three-lakh deaths due to coronavirus infections, thus becoming the world's third country after the US and Brazil to cross three-lakh deaths.