BJP attacks TMC over fake Covid vaccination, demands probe by central agency

Subhas Sarkar, a BJP Member of Parliament, said Debanjan Deb, who is accused of organising the camps, has been spotted with multiple TMC leaders

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the vaccination camps in Kolkata where fake Covid-19 vaccines were allegedly administered, saying the fraud could not have taken place without the support of the ruling party and the state administration.

Representational Image. (File photo)

Subhas Sarkar, a BJP Member of Parliament (MP), said Debanjan Deb, who is accused of organising the camps, has been spotted with multiple TMC leaders. He added people, who were administered the fake vaccines, should be kept under observation. “If they develop any illness, the state should take responsibility. If the accused has close links with the chief minister, then the case file would be suppressed.”

Saumitra Khan, another BJP MP, tweeted: “How the vaccine is available in the open market? Trinamool MP and MLA are involved in this case. This is being done in their presence. If this case is investigated by the central agency, the correct information will come out.”

The BJP has circulated pictures that show Deb purportedly posing with TMC ministers and lawmakers including Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Debashis Kumar, and Santanu Sen. Deb apparently shared the photos on his social media platform in 2020. In February, when a bust of Rabindranath Tagore was unveiled in Kolkata, Deb’s name was engraved in a stone there along with names of ministers and lawmakers. Deb was referred to as a top government official. People aware of the matter said police were investigating how Deb’s name figured on the stone.

Hakim said public figures do not check the background of every person they come across while attending public programmes. “If I have to check each and every person’s credential at every public programme, then I would not be able to mix with and attend to the people. There could be one fraud person among 100 good citizens. If he stands beside me and takes a picture, what can I do?”

Mukherjee echoed Hakim. “We often go to public functions. Many people come there. It is not my responsibility to check each and every person’s background.”

TMC Member of Parliament Mimi Chakraborty was among those who were vaccinated at one of Deb’s camps.

Kunal Ghosh, a TMC spokesperson, said the entire operation was camouflaged and that mistakes and a crime has been committed. “Police are probing it. Chakraborty...suspected something was wrong when she did not receive any (confirmatory) message... after getting the vaccine. This took the lid off. It would be wrong to say TMC leaders are involved. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen in pictures with some persons who have been accused of economic offences and are now wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Does that mean Modi is involved?”

Meanwhile, KMC member of the board of administrators, Atin Ghosh, said, “It (unveiling of the Tagore’s statue) was not a government programme. Neither was any permission taken from the civic body. None of the ministers and TMC leaders, who names were engraved, was present there. Sometimes a local club or NGO unveils a statue without informing the KMC. So it won’t be right to say that TMC ministers and leaders were present at the occasion along with Deb.” He said that the stone slab would be removed.

TMC MLA Nayana Banerjee has lodged a police complaint as her name and that of other party leaders were included even though they were not present at the programme.

TMC MP Santanu Sen, TMC MP, who can be seen in one of the photos, and is also the state secretary of the Indian Medical Association, has lodged a police complaint against Deb.

The Kolkata Police on Wednesday busted the fake vaccination racket. They say Deb, 28, who was masquerading as the joint commissioner of the city’s civic body, allegedly organised several such camps, where hundreds of people were vaccinated. Police suspect amikacin, an antibiotic, was administered at the camps. Police found a large number of Amikacin vials and fake labels of Covishield when they raided Deb’s office on Thursday.

A police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the people who took the fake jabs in south Kolkata were told that they were getting Covishield. “...while those who got the fake jabs in a similar camp in north Kolkata were told they had got Sputnik. His office employees were also given fake injections and were told they were getting the Pfizer vaccine. Such a camp was also organised at Sonarpur.”