Arvind Kejriwal jumps into COVID vaccine debate, says 'should be free for entire country'

As the vaccine politics begins in the country, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday has pitched for free COVID-19 vaccine throughout the country. This statement by Kejriwal comes after BJP in their poll manifesto promised free COVID vaccine, when it will be approved by the ICMR, following which Tamil Nadu CM and Madhya Pradesh CM made similar promises. 

"The whole country should get free COVID-19 vaccine. It is a right of the entire country. All the people are troubled by the coronavirus, so the vaccine should be free for the country," Kejriwal told reporters after inaugurating two flyovers in northeast Delhi on Saturday.

READ | Shivraj Singh Chouhan Declares 'free COVID Vaccine For All In MP'; Tweaks Promise Later

READ | After Slamming BJP In Bihar, Congress Govt In Puducherry Announces Free Covid Vaccine

Other free vaccine promises 

The BJP in its Bihar poll manifesto titled as '5 Sutra, 1 Lakshaya, 11 Sankalp' promised free COVID-19 vaccine to all state subjects. While unveiling the manifesto, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "As soon as COVID-19 vaccine will be available for production at a mass scale, every person in Bihar will get free vaccination. This is the first promise mentioned in our poll manifesto."

Following his party's declaration in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan also announced a free vaccine for all, only to tweak it later. The Madhya Pradesh CM had tweeted that his government has taken a lot of steps to defeat COVID and protect the citizens. "India is working fast to prepare a vaccine. As soon as the vaccine is ready, every person of Madhya Pradesh will get it for free." However, Chouhan later deleted his tweet and rephrased his promise stating that 'free vaccine is for poor'.

Similarly, Tami Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday announced that once the coronavirus vaccine is ready, it will be provided to all people of the state free of cost. The Tami Nadu government's decision came ahead of next year’s Assembly elections. Recently the two warring factions in AIADMK - of Deputy CM O Pannerselvam (OPS) and CM E Palaniswami (EPS), reconciled after the party named incumbent E Palaniswamy as its CM candidate and O Panneerselvam as the chief of the 11-member steering committee.

READ | Tejashwi Yadav declares in Bihar poll rally: 'Lalu ji riha honge aur Nitish ji vida honge'

READ | BJP's Bihar elections manifesto out; free COVID vaccine atop 11 'Aatmanirbhar' promises