Political slugfest begins in Assam over ‘free vaccine’

GUWAHATI: The beginning of the final fight against the Covid-19 pandemic has sparked a political slugfest over “free vaccine” ahead of the upcoming assembly election in the state.
Following the beginning of the vaccination drive in the state, along with the other parts of the country, opposition parties, including Congress, accused the saffron party of taking political mileage by releasing vaccines in a hurry ahead of the elections.
The Congress, which has pulled its socks to oust the BJP in the election, terming it “anti-indigenous”, has accused the BJP of launching the vaccination drive at an early stage. “A section of experts and doctors said the vaccination began at an early stage. They said the vaccine has been released without any efficacy data. They have raised questions on the BJP’s motive behind the release of the vaccine in a hurry ahead of the elections,” Debabrata Saikia, senior Congress leader, said.
Slamming the BJP, he further said, “Whatever you do, it should be acceptable by every section of society. But, a section of doctors’ opposition to the vaccination has somehow revealed the ruling party’s motive to take political mileage.”
State BJP chief spokesperson Rupam Goswami accused the Congress of trying to create doubts among the people about the vaccine, so that people refrain from taking vaccines. “It is not good to do politics with health and education. Vaccine is not only for BJP workers. It is for all, irrespective of political parties and ideologies. It is a matter of health and of humanity. So, there is no compromise with it,” he said.
Saying that taking political mileage is a baseless criticism, he said, “A section of people always raises opposition to each and every matter. Even the Congress had said that there was no Covid-19. But unfortunately, former state chief minister Tarun Gogoi got infected with the virus and later succumbed to it. And for this, I would say, the leaders of the Congress are responsible.”
Goswami further questioned the Congress on whether all states of the country are going for polls. “Opposition parties do not have any issue for which they have made vaccination drive an issue,” he said, adding that people won’t believe them as they have witnessed what the BJP has done for their welfare after coming to power.