BENGALURU: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for suggesting that the Covid-19 vaccine may have been linked to heart attack deaths, calling the remarks an insult to Indian scientists, startups, and the country’s pharmaceutical strength. He demanded a public apology, stating that Siddaramaiah’s comments undermined the people who worked tirelessly during the pandemic.
Speaking at IIT Madras Sangam 2025 event on Saturday, Goyal said it was unfortunate that such a statement had come from the CM of a state, in a country known as the “pharmacy of the world.” He said: “Our scientists and startups worked day and night, conducted experiments, and built two vaccines when developed nations were struggling. India didn’t just protect its own people but also supplied vaccines to 150 countries, giving them free to over 100 countries.”
Goyal added: “Now, when the world is thanking India for saving lives, Siddaramaiah is insulting those efforts. Is he siding with countries that have an agenda against the Indian government? What is he trying to say? He owes a public apology.”
Referring to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Goyal pointed out how India faced a severe shortage of PPE kits and vaccines. “In just days, Indian startups and enterprises developed PPE kits locally and we became the second-largest producers in the world,” he said. “When we tried to buy vaccines from abroad, we were pushed to the back of the line. Developed countries hoarded expensive vaccines. But India developed its own. Even today, people across the world thank India for saving lives,” he said, adding, “And yet, the Chief Minister finds this a matter of shame?”
“Kharge can’t see the progress India has made”
Responding to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent remark that India’s foreign policy was failing, Goyal said, “He is a senior politician, but speaks with complete negativity. He cannot digest the progress India has made over the last decade. Today, every nation wants to partner with India. He should look at the enthusiasm among our youth. It is the same Congress that the people have rejected three times which now wants to spread negativity.”
On IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge’s statement calling for a ban on the RSS, Goyal responded, “I am a proud RSS member. RSS is a nationalist organisation that teaches patriotism and how to be a good citizen. That’s exactly why people like Priyank and his party cannot understand it. Their only philosophy is still ‘Indira is India and India is Indira’.”
The Union Minister recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five key commitments announced on August 15, 2022 — to make India a developed nation by 2047, shed colonial mindsets, take pride in our heritage, ensure unity, and work collectively for national development. “These principles are the foundation of our policies. From 2014, when India was one of the weakest economies, we have become one of the fastest-growing economies,” he said, arguing that India today is moving forward because of its scientists, researchers, and startups. But it is painful when someone like Siddaramaiah tries to pull that down.