Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Sunday demanded stern action against BJD Rajya Sabha member Amar Patnaik for his “anti-national” statement on Covaxin vaccine.
On Saturday, Patnaik had told the media that foreign countries were not allowing people who have taken Covaxin against COVID-19 to enter. The MP had also said the people were facing problems due to the Centre’s “wrong vaccination policy”.
Reacting to Patnaik’s statement, BJP State General Secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar rubbished it as a “blatant lie”.
“The fact is that neither the World Health Organisation (WHO) nor any country has set any such preconditions on foreign travel for the people who have taken Covaxin and those who are not vaccinated. It is not true that all people across the world have been vaccinated. But does it mean that those who are not vaccinated cannot go for a foreign trip,” Lekhashree told the media here.
She said that Covaxin is an indigenously developed vaccine and manufactured in the country by eminent scientists and researchers.
“This is a testimony of Atmanirbhar Bharat. However, the BJD leader’s statement that Covaxin is not the proper vaccine is grossly unfortunate. Such an anti-people and anti-national statement of the BJD leader is a well-orchestrated plan to create fear and panic against Covaxin,” she added.
Lekhashree further claimed, “I am sure that the BJD leader must have taken two doses of Covaxin. When he has already kept himself protected against the virus, he has to clarify as to why he is trying to create panic among the people and misleading them.”
She urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take action against his party MP. “As the BJD supremo has taken stern action against party leaders for making anti-people statements, he must similarly punish the Rajya Sabha member and expel him from the party,” she demanded.
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