BJP vaccine remark: Akhilesh clarifies, says never intended to question scientists
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday clarified his controversial 'BJP vaccine' remarks saying that he never intended to question the scientists or doctors.
"My question is not on the scientists, not on the doctors. Show my full statement... My question is on the BJP. When will the poor get the coronavirus vaccine? This is a big question," said the SP chief, while evading a direct reply on his earlier statement.
He further explained by saying: “I or Samajwadi Party never questioned the experts, researchers or scientists. If there are suspicions or some doubts, the government should come forward to allay them.”
Akhilesh had kicked up a row on Saturday by saying that he would get the Covid-19 vaccine shot because he could not trust the BJP vaccine. “I am not going to get vaccinated for now. How can I trust BJP's vaccine? When our government will be formed, everyone will get a free vaccine. We cannot take the BJP's vaccine," SP had said drawing strong reactions from across the social and political sections of the country.
Yadav's comments had come on a day when states were conducting a dry run for the vaccine ahead of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in India.
The controversy over his statement, however, is far from over. Now Akhilesh is under fire from his own family as Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, with conspicuous political ambitions, has condemned his statement saying that it was wrong to attach the vaccine with a particular political party.
“The vaccine is for all. It is not associated with a particular political party. It is for the whole world. Politcs should not be played over it,” said Aparna.