Vote vs vaccine: With polls upcoming, jabs become jibes

The CWC averred that to a large extent vaccine 'hesitancy is on account of the blatant politicisation of the regulatory process in order to boost image of the PM'

With election campaigning on in four states in full swing and free vaccination being the toast of the day, Congress on Friday somewhat recalibrated its position on the issue and appealed to people to "come forward without any hesitation and vaccinate themselves" days after its many senior leaders called the move by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to approve Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine 'premature' and raised questions on the protocols and verification of data.

Calling upon the central government to take all steps necessary to overcome the hesitancy amongst front-line health professionals on Covid-19 vaccination, the Congress Working Committee, meanwhile averred that to a large extent, this "hesitancy is on account of the blatant politicisation of the regulatory process in order to boost the image of the Prime Minister."

Read | PM Modi trashes politics over vaccine, says he went by scientists' advice

"The CWC believes that the vaccination programme should be conducted in a manner that enhances public confidence and trust. Time, numbers and avoidance of wastage are critical. Apart from front-line health professionals, the state governments should be given the option of laying out a state-specific order of beneficiaries, so that the vaccination programme is taken forward with utmost speed and efficiency," it said.

Earlier the Congress had spoken in divergent voices on the issue with senior leaders Anand Sharma, Jairam Ramesh and Shashi Tharoor flagging these concerns even as some others had chosen to caution against "narrow politics" and had gone all out to welcome the scientists for coming out with the vaccines.

The CWC resolution on Friday while recording deep appreciation and gratitude to India’s scientists and researchers for the development of the vaccines but at the same time targeted the government over complete lack of clarity about availability and timeline of the Corona Vaccine for India’s population.

Going populist it also demanded that India’s under-privileged, disadvantaged and marginalised sections, particularly the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Other Backward Classes and poor, need to be administered the vaccine free of charge and within a time-bound period.

Also Read | Will provide Covid-19 vaccine free to people of Delhi if Centre fails to do so: Arvind Kejriwal

CWC also expressed its dismay over reports that the vaccine may be sold in the open market at Rs 2,000 for two dosages per individual.

"Such profiteering in times of grave adversity simply cannot be permitted. Government needs to explicitly and publicly declare a clear policy in this regard," the Congress said.

The vaccine politics that had begun in the middle of the pandemic since the Bihar polls in October last year when BJP promised free vaccines to the entire state, has seen many twists and turns since then. It has begun resonating once again months before the Assembly polls in four states.

Poll-bound West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have promised free vaccines.

At the height of the controversy over the free vaccine promise in Bihar, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray had asked the BJP "You promise free Covid-19 vaccine in Bihar, then are people of other states from Bangladesh or Kazakhstan?"

Read | Free Covid-19 vaccine in Bihar, are others from Bangladesh? Uddhav to BJP

Former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's remarks early this month that he "will not take BJP vaccine" drew much criticism but later he clarified that he was not doubting scientists who developed the vaccine but questioning the BJP.

In the second week of January, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promised arrangements by her government to to provide free vaccines for the novel coronavirus to all the people of the state, a claim which was dismissed by the BJP as a "bogus" one and it alleged "TMC cadres are rushing to put posters" about her claim as "shamelessness has no limit."

While in Bihar the BJP BJP announced in its manifesto for the state polls that it would provide free vaccines, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had way back in October said as soon as the vaccine for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is ready, it will be given to people free of cost, a claim his government has reiterated a number of times since then.

The process of making a vaccine is going on fast in India,As soon as a vaccine is ready, every resident of Madhya Pradesh will get it free of cost," was the promise of Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan as well.