Several BJP leaders slammed Congress Party on Saturday for raising questions over the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines being administered in the nationwide vaccination drive.
Lashing out at the Congress, the Health Minister accused the party of spreading distrust and rumors about the vaccine. “Manish Tewari and Congress are only passionate about spreading distrust and rumors. Open your eyes, sharing photos of eminent Doctors and government functionaries getting inoculated,” Harsh Vardhan tweeted. Further slamming Congress, Harsh Vardhan even quoted English writer Charles Caleb Colton: “So blinded are we by our passions that we suffer more to be damned than to be saved.”
“Manish Tewari, the science behind COVID-19 vaccines is resolute. Our scientists have worked at lightning speed to expedite functions that contribute to the development of a vaccine but not a single function has been circumvented. Safety above all else has been the guiding principle!” Harsh Vardhan said in a subsequent tweet while responding to the statement made by the Congress leader.
This came after Tewari claimed that the government functionaries are not getting themselves vaccinated due to the safety and reliability of the vaccine.
“If the vaccine is so safe and reliable and efficacy of the vaccine is beyond question then how is it that not a single functionary of the government has stepped forward to get themselves vaccinated as it has happened in other countries around the world?” asked Tewari.
On the other hand, As vaccination drive against COVID-19 began in the country on Saturday, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya hit out at the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal saying that the Centre had sent free vaccines for corona warriors but “TMC MLAs and goons got forcefully vaccinated” and “Mamataji is claiming that Modi has sent fewer vaccines”.
“There has been a loot of coronavirus vaccines! Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent free COVID-19 vaccines for corona warriors, health workers and frontline workers. But in West Bengal, TMC MLAs and goons forcefully got vaccinated. Mamataji is claiming that Modi has sent fewer vaccines. Shame on Mamataji!” Vijayvargiya said in a tweet. Earlier today, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Central Government had supplied “inadequate doses” of COVID-19 vaccines to the state.
She requested the Central Government to provide adequate COVID-19 vaccines not only for the frontline workers but also for all the people in West Bengal and expressed willingness to bear the cost.
The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today through video conferencing. In the first phase, government and private-sector health care workers, including Integrated Child Development Services workers, will receive the vaccine.
(With ANI Inputs)