Former Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government on Thursday for ambiguity in the vaccine policy of the country, seeking clarity over the same.
“PM - Everyone will get vaccine. BJP in Bihar elections- Everyone in Bihar will get free vaccine. Now, GOI- Never said everyone will get vaccine. Exactly what does the PM stand by,” Gandhi said in a tweet.
Gandhi’s tweet came in response to the government stating on Tuesday that it has not talked about vaccinating the entire population of the country against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“I just want to make this clear that the government has never spoken about vaccinating the entire country. It’s important that we discuss such scientific issues, based on factual information only,” Rajesh Bhushan, secretary, Union health ministry, had said.
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Bhushan had also said that the average daily positivity rate in India has been 3.72% and with 211 cases per million, India has the lowest cases per million count “among all the big nations”. While data from the last seven days indicates that cases are increasing in European nations, the cumulative positivity rate has decreased in India, he had noted. The cumulative positivity rate fell from 7.15% to 6.69% between November 11 and December 1. The number of recoveries had exceeded the number of new Covid-19 infections in India in the month of November, Bhushan added.
{{/usCountry}}Bhushan had also said that the average daily positivity rate in India has been 3.72% and with 211 cases per million, India has the lowest cases per million count “among all the big nations”. While data from the last seven days indicates that cases are increasing in European nations, the cumulative positivity rate has decreased in India, he had noted. The cumulative positivity rate fell from 7.15% to 6.69% between November 11 and December 1. The number of recoveries had exceeded the number of new Covid-19 infections in India in the month of November, Bhushan added.
{{/usCountry}}A contentious point, however, in BJP’s manifesto announced ahead of the Bihar election was that the vaccine would be administered for free to everyone in the state. The promise had drawn the ire of the Opposition, with the parties asking the Election Commission to strike it down.