Subramanian Swamy slams Congress for questioning DCGI approval to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin

Slamming Congress' opposition to the approval of Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine, BJP MP Dr Subramanian Swamy has said that nothing else is expected from a party that prefers "foreign presidentship." Swamy was referring to the citizenship of interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi who is of Italian origin and had faced a major criticism in Indian politics due to her origin. Swamy, in a tweet on Monday, said that Congress will foreign to Swadeshi produced medicines and there is no surprise in it. Earlier on Sunday, BJP chief JP Nadda had said that Congress will never accept anything that is Indian.   

READ | Centre Refutes 'doubts' Over COVAXIN Approval With Data: 'politicisation Is Disgraceful'

Congress Seeks Centre's Clarification 

Congress' Jairam Ramesh had asked as to why the internationally accepted protocol is being modified for approving Covaxin. In a tweet on Sunday, Ramesh said that Phase 3 trials protocol has been modified for the Bharat Biotech vaccine candidate. He urged Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to clarify on the same. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also raised similar concerns. Moreover, in a bizzare statement, Ashutosh Sinha, SP's Mirzapur MLC, said that vaccine can "even make someone impotent"'. This, a day after SP leader and ex-Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav said, 'I will not get vaccinated - that too on BJP's vaccine (COVID-19), as I don't trust it.'

READ | As India approves 2 Covid Vaccines, here's what DCGI spoke on Serum Institute's Covishield

Dr VG Somani, Drug Controller General of India said that they will never approve anything if there is the slightest safety concern, while also asserting that the vaccines are 110% safe. However, he added a cautionary note that side effects like mild fever, pain & allergy are common for every vaccine. On Samajwadi Party leader claiming vaccine will make people impotent, the DGCI said that his statements are "absolute rubbish". Lambasting Opposition leaders for politicising the approval of Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday, said the Opposition was only discrediting themselves by questioning the well laid out science-backed protocols followed for approving the vaccines.

READ | 'Vaccines 110% Safe; Else Wouldn't Approve,' Says DCGI; Rubbishes SP's Impotency Claim

DCGI gives nod to Covishield & Covaxin

On Sunday, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) VG Somani announced that the vaccines of Serum Institue of India (Covishield) and Bharat Biotech (Covaxin) have been granted permission for restricted use in an emergency situation. Meanwhile, Zydus-Cadilla's nCov-Vaccine using DNA platform technology has been allowed to conduct Phase-III clinical trial in 26000 Indian participants. The government has stated that the first phase of the vaccination drive will be free including 1 crore healthcare workers and two crore frontline workers, aiming to vaccinate 27 crore priority beneficiaries until July.

READ | BJP chief JP Nadda slams 'Vaccine politics'; says 'Congress not proud of anything Indian'