Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday termed the COVID-19 vaccines to be rolled out in the country as “vaccine of the BJP” and said he would not take the shot, drawing a sharp retort from the ruling party which accused him of “insulting” the doctors and scientists.
The controversial statement of the SP president comes when the UP government is holding a dry run for the COVID-19 vaccination process in Lucknow and is preparing to start a vaccination programme from Makar Sankranti.
A trial drill for distribution of COVID-19 vaccine began across the country on Saturday, officials said. The Centre had on Thursday stated that the exercises aim to test the linkages between planning and implementation and identify challenges.
“How can I trust the vaccine, which will be used for vaccination by the BJP? We cannot get vaccinated by the BJP’s vaccine,” Akhilesh Yadav told reporters here.
He also said his party would come to power in the state after 2022 elections and everybody would get the vaccine free.
His remarks prompted an instant rebuttal from BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who termed the statement as an “insult to the doctors and scientists of the country”.
“Akhilesh Yadav does not have trust in the vaccine and the people of Uttar Pradesh do not have trust in Akhilesh Yadav. His raising questions on the vaccine are an insult to doctors and scientists of the country. He should tender an apology,” Maurya told reporters.
Akhilesh Yadav also claimed that there was no coronavirus anywhere in the country.
“The BJP is using the pandemic as a tool to frighten the opposition political parties and the people from exercising their democratic right to protest against the government. I have come here without any face mask and am sitting amongst you all,” the SP chief said.
“The BJP is carrying out its political activity all over the country as per its electoral needs but the government is preventing the opposition from carrying out political activities and holding rallies due to coronavirus,” Yadav charged.
On Saturday, Akhilesh Yadav also met several saints and monks from Ayodhya and sought their blessings for the 2022 assembly polls.
Later, he announced that when the Samajwadi Party government would come to power in UP, the entire Ayodhya would enjoy tax-free status so that every day or 365 days in the year people could celebrate the festival of Diwali in the temple city.
Yadav said Ayodhya was a symbol of unity and integrity but the BJP had turned it into a place of religious conflict to gain vote mileage.
“We have tried to save democracy and humanity by supporting all the religions. I believe in God and hence have made a temple inside my house. But the BJP is making all efforts to divide the community on religion,” he alleged.