JP Nadda talks about 'small-minded people in politics', hits out at ‘BJP vaccine’ remark

JP Nadda was pointing at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who said earlier this year that he will not take a “BJP vaccine”

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday hit out at the opposition for casting doubt over the Covid-19 vaccines manufactured in India. “Modiji [Prime Minister Narendra Modi] gave India two vaccines within nine months but they said we won’t get vaccinated because it’s the BJP’s vaccine. This tells us a lot about the politicians' mindset. How will these people who have such a parochial mindset govern Uttar Pradesh,” Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to the state, said.

JP Nadda also hit out at opposition leaders for questioning the government’s decision to roll out the vaccines without conducting clinical trials. (ANI Photo)

“They are clicking photos after being vaccinated. Should I tell them what medicine is in it?” Nadda said while addressing a meeting of block and zila panchayat heads in the state capital of Lucknow. “We should understand that they are small-minded people in politics,” he said and insisted that the country is not facing any shortage of vaccines.

Nadda also hit out at opposition leaders for questioning the government’s decision to roll out the vaccines without conducting clinical trials. “They caused so much damage to the country when they said they were being treated like guinea pigs and questioned why we were vaccinating individuals without conducting the third phase trials, asking if people were sheep and goats,” Nadda said. "Now, I meet these leaders who have gotten vaccinated and I ask them if they think of themselves as sheep and goats."

The senior BJP leader was pointing at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who said earlier this year that he will not take a “BJP vaccine”. Nadda also hit out at those who criticised the government’s initiatives like encouraging frontline workers by clapping for them. “I ask them what do they know about the meaning of this? If you did your condition in politics wouldn’t be like this,” he remarked.

Yadav criticised the government during the first phases of the vaccine dry run that was being conducted in UP. “Why cold-chain and refrigerators for vaccine now? This government was warding off Covid by clanging plates, claps, and hovering helicopters over hospitals,” he asked.

Nadda asked BJP leaders and workers to extol the good work done by the Centre and stated that central government schemes have invited praise from people like the UN secretary general. He added that the Prime Minister’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic was also praised by the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO). He also credited PM Modi for ensuring the fair supply of oxygen and criticised the opposition for “quarantining” themselves when the pandemic struck last year and only making appearances on Twitter and virtual press conferences.