Approval for vaccines accelerates India’s journey to be Covid free: Modi
Stating that the “road to a Covid-free nation is open”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the nation and thanked the scientific and healthcare community on Sunday after the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) officially approved Oxford-AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use. For its part, the BJP described the Opposition’s criticism and doubts over the vaccine as unwarranted and “politically motivated”.
Taking to Twitter, Modi said the announcement marks a “decisive turning point” in India’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He said every Indian would be proud that both the vaccines are “made in India”.
“A decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight! DCGI granting approval to vaccines of Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech accelerates the road to a healthier and Covid-free nation. Congratulations India. Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators,” said the Prime Minister.
“It would make every Indian proud that the two vaccines that have been given emergency use approval are made in India! This shows the eagerness of our scientific community to fulfil the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, at the root of which is care and compassion,” he said.
Soon after the DCGI’s go-ahead, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called the vaccine approval as “pre-mature” and claimed more trials were needed before giving them the green signal.
BJP leader and its IT Cell head Amit Malviya described the criticism as unwarranted saying vaccines have undergone all required trials.
He said the Modi Government had been taking all the right steps for Covid-19 containment and excellently managed the crisis with one of the lowest death rates in the world. “We did better than the developed countries including America,” he said.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh also hit back at the Opposition saying it is politically motivated and the criticism of the vaccine is made for “other reasons”.
Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav had on Saturday said he would not take the “BJP vaccine” which did not go down well within the Opposition ranks itself with the likes of NC leader Omar Abdullah coming out in support of the vaccine.
While the BSP too was quick to support the vaccines, its supremo went public in welcoming the DCGI nod and congratulating the scientific fraternity. She urged the Government to make the vaccines available to the poor free of cost.
On Sunday in a damage control exercise Yadav said the ruling party should not make a “spectacle” out of Covid-19 vaccination and should launch the inoculation drive only after making solid arrangements in advance.
Taking to Twitter, Yadav also asked the Government to announce the dates on which economically weaker sections of the population will be vaccinated.