BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Sunday sought action against Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson of BJD, Amar Patnaik accusing him of misleading people on Covaxin.
Dubbing Patnaik’s statement on Saturday, that Indians administered the vaccine are not being allowed to travel abroad, as blatant lie, misleading and anti-people, State BJP general secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar urged BJD chief Naveen Patnaik to expel the Rajya Sabha member from the party for his ‘anti-national’ statement on Covaxin, the only indigenous Covid-19 vaccine.
Reacting to Patnaik’s statement that people intending to go abroad were facing problems due to the wrong vaccination policy of the Centre, the BJP leader said neither the World Health Organisation (WHO) nor any country has set any such preconditions on foreign travel for people who have been administered Covaxin and those who are not vaccinated.
She said the BJD MP’s statement on Covaxin is an insult to the nation and the scientists who have developed the vaccine.
“This is an attempt to defame the scientists of the country and create panic among the people,” Lekhashree said.
Daring the BJD MP to clarify his vaccination status and the name of the vaccine he has been administered,
Lekhashree claimed, “I am sure that the Rajya Sabha member must have taken two doses of Covaxin. If he had taken Covaxin as a precautionary measure to protect himself from the virus, he must clarify the reason for creating panic among the people.”
The saffron party leader said the BJD supremo had taken stern action against party leaders by expelling them from the party and sending them to jail for making ‘anti-people’ statements.
Patnaik too should be punished similarly, she said.