UK doing what they believe are best for their people: BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar amid vaccine row

At a time when India has put Britain on notice for vaccine-linked curbs, BJP on Wednesday appeared to take a soft stance contending that the European nation was acting in its best interest in the midst of paranoia over travel.

“I think these things have to evolve as the assessment of the risk of the disease gets mitigated over time. Till such time every sovereign government, every sovereign country will take decisions which they believe are in the best interest of the people,” Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters at the BJP headquarters here.

Asked about Britain not recognising Indian vaccines against Covid-19, Chandrasekhar reasoned that countries were expected to behave in this manner given the fear and paranoia about travel during the pandemic.

In his personal opinion, the BJP leader said, "There is nothing right and wrong about this as some countries will take a stronger view on what vaccine will be accepted by their medical fraternity because of a general atmosphere of the unknown about the pandemic."

Chandrasekhar clarified that he was not speaking on behalf of health and external affairs ministries but sharing a personal view based on common sense.