Akhilesh Yadav had opposed ‘BJP vaccines’ but his relatives take vaccine jab

New Delhi: Relatives of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had shown his reluctance to take “BJP’s vaccine” against COVID-19, have got themselves vaccinated against coronavirus.

Kamla Devi — sister of Samajwadi Party veteran Mulayam Singh Yadav, and her husband Dr Anjat Singh — received the first jab of COVID-19 vaccines at the district hospital in Etawah on Tuesday. Dr Ashok, in-charge of the district COVID-19 vaccination centre, said: “Dr Anjat and his wife Kamla came around 3 pm on Tuesday for the vaccination.

The couple was kept under observation for some time after they received the vaccines. Both of them fall into the senior citizen category.”

Samajwadi Party Anurag Bhadouria said that Akhilesh was against the “BJPnisation” of the vaccine, not of the vaccine itself.

“We completely trust the vaccine developed by our scientists. Taking the vaccine shot is one’s personal wish and we cannot tell an individual whether they should take the vaccine or not,” Bhadouria said.

In January when the dry run of vaccination was taking place, Akhilesh had said that he would not get vaccinated against coronavirus as the “BJP government cannot be trusted”.

“I will not take the COVID-19 vaccine at this moment, that too given by the Bharatiya Janata Party. How can I trust BJP’s vaccine? When our government will be formed, everyone will get a free vaccine. We cannot take the BJP vaccine,” Akhilesh had said during a press conference here.

Following criticism, he had subsequently tweeted that he had “full confidence” in the ability of scientists, but he would not take the BJP’s “political vaccine”.

The country started its vaccination drive on January 16 with priority given to all healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase. The second phase started on March 1 where doses are being administered to people above the age of 60 and those between 45 and 59 years with specific comorbidities.