Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said the BJP government is "hero" in publicity, while his party and the dispensation led by it were "zero" on that front as they "failed to publicize" their work and achievements.
He was speaking at the Lokmat Times Excellence in Healthcare Awards 2021 here.
Mr. Azad said his 42 years as an elected representative, his tenure as the chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State and as the Union health minister gave him the "biggest job satisfaction", wherein he undertook several innovations and implemented new ideas for the welfare of the people.
He recalled that he had asked the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to allot him health portfolio when he was made a union minister, to which Mr. Singh said that ministry was too small for an experienced leader like him.
"But I was lucky enough as I was made a health minister. I told the PM that I want to do something for the country, want to work in health sector and bring my ideas into execution," he said.
Mr. Azad said he brought a basic paradigm shift in the country's health care sector and introduced major changes in land use for building medical colleges, for increasing the age for medical teaching faculty.
Taking the name of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who was on present on the dais, Mr. Azad said, "Their government is hero in publicity, but we were zero in publicity...completely zero...It is good, I appreciate them and I blame myself, my government and my party that we failed miserably whatever we did we could not publicize." The veteran Congress leader said the most basic thing that India and the world should work on is improving health and education.
Mr. Azad praised Indian doctors, who he said are hailed across the world for their experience.
Chairman of the editorial board of Lokmat Media Group, Vijay Darda, appreciated the work done by the people in the health care sector during the pandemic and stressed the need to improve health services in rural areas.
Mr. Darda hailed Mr. Azad for improving the health care services in Jammu and Kashmir during his tenure as the chief minister there, and the work done by him for women's health when he was the Union health minister.
Mr. Fadnavis and Maharashtra energy minister Nitin Raut were awarded 'Excellence in Healthcare Award 2021' in the category of 'Outstanding Service to Society During Covid Pandemic' at the hands of Mr. Azad. The two leaders from Maharashtra also spoke on the occasion.
