New Delhi/Varanasi, April 30: A political row erupted on Tuesday over the issue of “side effects” of Covishield vaccine, with the Samajwadi Party alleging that the BJP took “commission” from the manufacturer of the Covid jab and the RJD accusing the Centre of administering “wrong” vaccine to people of the country.
Who would be responsible for people dying of heart attacks, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Uttar Pradesh Congress also attacked Modi over the issue and alleged that the PM has played with the lives of people. “Is this Modi’s guarantee?” UP Congress chief Ajay Rai asked.
UK-headquartered pharma giant AstraZeneca has admitted that in “very rare cases”, its COVID-19 vaccine, which is known as Vaxzevria in Europe and Covishield in India, can cause a blood clot-related side effect but the causal link is unknown, according to court papers being quoted in the UK media.
In India, the AstraZeneca vaccine was manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
Attacking the ruling BJP over the issue, SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav said, “It has been exposed now that they have taken commission in vaccines too. Low quality vaccines and medicines were given to the people.” Shivpal Yadav was talking to reporters in UP’s Etah.
Dimple Yadav, wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, said people were “forcibly” administered Covid vaccines in the country.
“A donation of Rs 200-300 crore was taken (by the BJP) and they (company) were given permission to sell the vaccine. People were forcibly administered vaccines. The corruption in manufacturing the vaccine has come to the fore due to which people are dying now,” said Dimple Yadav, who is the SP candidate from Mainpuri Lok sabha seat.
“Akhilesh ji had said that we would not get the vaccine administered because till then the vaccine was not tested. Now, the number of heart attacks has increased in the country and people are suffering from serious diseases due to this haste,” she told reporters in Etah. (PTI)