'Who would be responsible for heart attack deaths': Oppn parties slam BJP over Covishield row
New Delhi/Varanasi, Apr 30: A political row erupted on Tuesday over the issue of "side effects" of Covishield vaccine, with the Samajwadi Party alleging that the BJP took "commission" from the manufacturer of the Covid jab and the RJD accusing the Centre of administering "wrong" vaccine to people of the country.
Who would be responsible for people dying of heart attacks, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Uttar Pradesh Congress also attacked Modi over the issue and alleged that the PM has played with the lives of people. "Is this Modi's guarantee?" UP Congress chief Ajay Rai asked.
UK-headquartered pharma giant AstraZeneca has admitted that in "very rare cases", its COVID-19 vaccine, which is known as Vaxzevria in Europe and Covishield in India, can cause a blood clot-related side effect but the causal link is unknown, according to court papers being quoted in the UK media.
In India, the AstraZeneca vaccine was manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
Attacking the ruling BJP over the issue, SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav said, "It has been exposed now that they have taken commission in vaccines too. Low quality vaccines and medicines were given to the people." Shivpal Yadav was talking to reporters in UP's Etah.
Dimple Yadav, wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, said people were "forcibly" administered Covid vaccines in the country.
"A donation of Rs 200-300 crore was taken (by the BJP) and they (company) were given permission to sell the vaccine. People were forcibly administered vaccines. The corruption in manufacturing the vaccine has come to the fore due to which people are dying now," said Dimple Yadav, who is the SP candidate from Mainpuri Lok sabha seat.
"Akhilesh ji had said that we would not get the vaccine administered because till then the vaccine was not tested. Now, the number of heart attacks has increased in the country and people are suffering from serious diseases due to this haste," she told reporters in Etah.
The Daily Telegraph reported that in a legal document submitted to the High Court in London in February for a group action brought by 51 claimants, AstraZeneca admitted that the vaccine developed with the University of Oxford to protect against COVID-19 may cause Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) in "very rare cases".
Speaking to reporters in Varanasi, UP Congress chief Rai said that Prime Minister Modi not only promoted Covishield during the pandemic, but he and his party leaders also asked for votes in the name of the Covid vaccine in the elections.
"Will Modi ji and the BJP take responsibility of the deaths caused due to the side effects of the vaccine in the country?" Rai said.
The RJD alleged that the ruling BJP pushed the vaccine to get donations through electoral bonds.
"Mr. Prime Minister, who will be responsible for the millions of heart attack deaths that happened, and may happen in future due to the side effects of the Covishield vaccine?" the RJD said in a post in Hindi on X.
"In order to collect donations through Electoral Bonds, BJP gave the wrong vaccine to crores of countrymen? Experts should shed light on this," the Lalu Yadav-led party said.
कोविशील्ड वैक्सीन के साइड इफेक्ट्स के कारण हार्ट अटैक से हुई लाखों मौतों एवं भविष्य में भी अगर हार्ट- अटैक से आपकी, हमारी अथवा किसी की भी मौत होती है तो इसके जिम्मेदार कौन होंगे, प्रधानमंत्री जी?
— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) April 30, 2024
बीजेपी ने Electoral Bond के ज़रिए चंदा लेने के चक्कर में करोड़ों देशवासियों को… pic.twitter.com/JgYmKZqq06
मोदी की गारंटी👇
— UP Congress (@INCUttarPradesh) April 30, 2024
52 करोड़ रुपए का चंदा = करोड़ों देशवासियों की जान का सौदा! pic.twitter.com/Samcdt82KE
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Tribal man brings dead sister's skeleton to bank to withdraw money from her account
Keonjhar (PTI): A tribal man in Odisha's Keonjhar district on Monday brought the skeleton of his dead sister to a bank to withdraw the money deposited in her name, police said.
The incident occurred at Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank located at Patana block of Keonjhar district. The man was identified as Jeetu Munda (50) of Dianali village. He was seeking to withdraw Rs 20,000 from the bank account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda (56), who died on January 26, 2026.
"I have run several times to the bank, and the people there told me to bring the account holder to withdraw money deposited in her name. Though I told them that she had died, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. Therefore, out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought out her skeleton as proof of her death," an illiterate Jeetu Munda told reporters.
Patana Police Station Inspector in charge (IIC) Kiran Prasad Sahu, who reached the bank after getting information, said, "Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not know what the legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials have failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from the dead person's account."
However, after the incident, the police assured Jeetu Munda that they would facilitate the withdrawal of money from the bank account of his dead sister. Later, the skeleton was again buried at the graveyard in presence of police.
Meanwhile, local Block Development Officer (BDO) Manas Dandpat said that he was not approached by anyone for the legal heir of late Kalra Munda. "Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue," the BDO said.
Meanwhile, bank sources said that the nominee in Kalra Munda's bank account was also dead. Therefore, Jeetu Munda was the lone claimant over the money deposited in her name.
The local administration has directed the bank officers to make arrangements and ensure that Jeetu Munda, who is the only claimant as per the rules, gets the money as soon as possible.
