Congressional leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the promise of the free coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine mentioned in his manifesto for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The congressional spokesperson said the BJP is making fun of the people of Bihar.
“In the migrant worker crisis, Bihar CM and the deputy CM said they will not let Biharis in. PM said the vaccine cannot be made before a year. 1000 Biharis died due to Covid. Do central ministers care? They are making fun of the people of Bihar, ”Surjewala said at a press conference, the ANI news agency reported.
Also Read: A Promising Free Vaccine Is Our Vision To Fight The Covid-19 Challenge, Says BJP
With less than a week to go to the first phase of the assembly elections in Bihar, political parties have released manifestos that focus on issues such as the Covid-19 crisis, the exodus of immigrants and the empowerment of women.
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) released its 11-point manifesto on Thursday that included promises such as providing more than 1.9 million jobs across all sectors, the creation of Bihar as an information technology (IT) hub and the construction of a second AIIMS hospital in the state.
The party has also promised that after the approval of the Covid-19 vaccine by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), all people in Bihar will be vaccinated at no cost.
In addition to Surjewala, Chhattisgarh Prime Minister Bhupesh Baghel also accused the BJP of politicizing public health by promising the free Covid-19 vaccine and further dubbed it “Choice by vaccine”.
“The NDA manifesto says the vaccine is free for Biharis. This is a poll promise that BJP and JDU did. Note: A Manifesto is a list of promises that will be fulfilled if the government comes to power, then they are politicizing the health of citizens with #VaccineElectionism, ”Baghel’s tweet said.
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Amid criticism, the BJP clarified that the announcement of the free vaccine should not be seen as an electoral promise. The party’s national secretary general, Bhupendra Yadav, who published the manifesto together with the Union’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, and the head of the state unit, Sanjay Jaiswal, said that health is an important aspect of public policy. and that all parties must reasonably address.
The elections to elect the 243-member legislative assembly in Bihar will take place in three phases: on October 28, November 3 and November 7. Results will be declared on November 10.
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