Voting in Bihar will begin on October 28.
LIVE updates of the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections
The BJP promised “Bihar residents” free vaccination against Covid-19 in its electoral manifesto for the Bihar assembly published on Thursday, prompting strong reactions from opposition parties, most of whom said that it was “shocking” that a vaccine to fight the pandemic was made as a survey agenda.
Defending its announcement, the BJP said it is a promise on a public health issue. Publishing the party’s manifesto in Patna, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: “After crossing all the stages, there are at least three vaccines that have reached the last stage and are on the cusp of production. . After this, if the scientists say that this vaccine is fine, it can be produced. Our production capacity, due to government intervention, is very large ”.
The promise sparked a political dispute with the RJD, Congress and other opposition parties that criticized the party, accusing it of politicizing the pandemic and playing on people’s fears.
Reacting to BJP’s promise, the RJD said: “The Corona vaccine belongs to the country. It does not belong to the BJP. The political use of the vaccine shows that they have no choice but to sell their fear of disease and death. The people of Bihar respect themselves, they don’t sell their children’s future for pennies, ”the RJD posted on its Twitter account.
Its main leader and deputy from Rajya Sabha, Manoj Kumar Jha, said that the BJP’s decision to make such a promise in its electoral manifesto was an indication of the deterioration of its thinking. He criticized the ad, saying it equates to “zindagi bachane ke liye bhi chunavi saudebaazi (seeking votes even to save lives).”
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