Audio recording stirs up row; Congress accuses Tejasvi Surya, his uncle of seeking cash for Covid-19 vaccine

The Congress on Saturday demanded arrest of BJP lawmakers Tejasvi Surya and Ravi Subramanya, accusing them of diverting Covid-19 vaccines from government healthcare facilities to private hospitals and profiteering from it.

Congress leaders latched on to audio recordings purportedly of a supervisor of a private hospital claiming that Rs 700 per vaccine dose has to be paid to BJP MLA Subramanya, the uncle of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha president Tejasvi Surya.

“In the audio recordings, the supervisor of a private hospital is heard saying that vaccination will cost Rs 900. The supervisor is also heard saying that of this Rs 900, Rs 700 has to be given to Ravi Subramanya, BJP MLA from Basavanagudi and the uncle of Tejasvi Surya,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told media.

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The Congress termed the “revelations” in the audio recording as “shocking” and claimed that the BJP leaders have been “caught red-handed” as Surya had put out advertisements exhorting people to get vaccinated from this particular hospital.

Khera demanded registration of an FIR against Surya and Subramanya and their arrest, accusing them of profiteering by asking “cash-for-vaccines”. The Congress also demanded that Subramanya and Surya be disqualified as members of the Karnataka Assembly and the Lok Sabha respectively.

“We demand answers why vaccines meant for government hospitals were diverted to private hospitals… The same private hospital your blue-eyed boy Tejasvi Surya was advertising this week,” Khera said.

Youth Congress president Srinivas B V demanded an investigation into the beneficiaries of the “commission collected from the vaccination drive”.

“It should be known how much of this commission went to the state government, what percentage went to the Central ministry. BJP is a party that thrives on commission. Always looking for opportunity during a tragedy,” Srinivas said.