Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the Covid-19 vaccination programme was a “sensitive process” and the government should not treat it as a “cosmetic” event as it concerned people’s lives. His fresh comment came the day after he announced that he would not get vaccinated for now, calling it a “BJP vaccine”.
Saturday’s comment triggered sharp reactions not only from ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, but also from the National Conference’s vice-president Omar Abdullah.
The fresh remarks by the SP chief come even as India’s drugs regulator approved the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India here, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.
Yadav tweeted in Hindi: “The BJP government should not consider coronavirus vaccination as a sajaawati-dikhaawati (decorative-cosmetic) event and launch it only after concrete arrangements are made. This is a matter of the lives of people, so the risk of improvement at a later stage cannot be taken. A specific date for vaccinating the poor people should be declared.”
On Saturday, he had said, “I will not get vaccinated. It’s the BJP’s vaccine. The BJP can’t be trusted.”
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, he had said, “I will not get vaccinated. It’s the BJP’s vaccine. The BJP can’t be trusted.”
{{/usCountry}}Following an attack by BJP leaders, the SP chief had tweeted later on Saturday evening: “We have full faith in scientists’ abilities, but we do not have faith in the BJP’s unscientific thinking of the clanging of plates, clapping and the medical set-up for the vaccine. The medical set-up stayed paralysed during Covid-19 times. We will not get the BJP’s political vaccine administered. The SP government (when it comes to power) will do free vaccination.”