Tagging it as “blatant populism”, former J&K CM Omar Abdullah said: “Will BJP be paying for these vaccines from the party treasury?
A new controversy erupted after the Bharatiya Janata Party promised “free coronavirus vaccination for all” ahead of next week’s election. BJP has been slammed by its opponents for using the vaccine for political agenda.
“As soon as a COVID-19 vaccine is available for production at a mass scale, every person in Bihar will get free vaccination. This is the first promise mentioned in our poll manifesto,” FM Nirmala Sitharaman had said earlier today, while launching the party’s manifesto for Bihar polls.
Including India, many countries are in an active race to produce a coronavirus vaccine and trials are on in many places. This is the first time in politics when a vaccine in the process is part of any election manifesto.
“What about non-BJP ruled states? Indians who didn’t vote BJP will not get free Covid vaccine?” Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party tweeted shortly after the announcement.
What about non-BJP ruled states?
Indians who didn't vote BJP will not get free Covid vaccine? https://t.co/kjid5IC5aH
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) October 22, 2020
“BJP would be the only political party in the world which thinks Covid Vaccine is an election lollipop instead of life saving measure to be administered as matter of right & not matter of conditional political privilege – BJP vicious mentality needs cure along with Covid,” Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill tweeted.
BJP would be the only political party in the world which thinks Covid Vaccine is an election lollipop instead of life saving measure to be administered as matter of right & not matter of conditional political privilege – BJP vicious mentality needs cure along with Covid
— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) October 22, 2020
Tagging it as “blatant populism”, former J&K CM Omar Abdullah said: “Will BJP be paying for these vaccines from the party treasury? If it’s coming from the government treasury then how can Bihar get free vaccines while the rest of the country has to pay? There is so much wrong with this blatant populism that shamefully exploits COVID fears.”
Will @BJP4India be paying for these vaccines from the party treasury? If it’s coming from the government treasury then how can Bihar get free vaccines while the rest of the country has to pay? There is so much wrong with this blatant populism that shamefully exploits COVID fears. https://t.co/ek796weG84
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 22, 2020
Defending his party’s move, the BJP’s social media head Amit Malviya said: “BJP’s manifesto promises free Covid vaccine. Like all programs, center will provide vaccines to states at a nominal rate. It is for the state governments to decide if they want to give it free or otherwise. Health being a state subject, Bihar BJP has decided to give it free. Simple.”
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