Vaccination affected in rural areas as parties like Congress, RJD kept questioning Indian COVID-19 vaccine: Sushil Modi

Patna (Bihar) [India], May 18 (ANI): Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday slammed the opposition parties over their targeting the government on COVID-19 doses and said parties like Congress and RJD kept mocking or raising questions about quality of Indian vaccines which led to vaccination not taking place at a fast pace in rural areas.
Sushil Modi, a BJP MP, made a series of tweets and also slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over TMC's protest against the arrest of four leaders by CBI on Monday in connection with the Narada scam.
He said Banerjee "trying to threaten" the CBI with her protest outside its office "was an attack on the federal structure of the country". He also accused her of behaving "like a goon due to arrogance of electoral success".
Sushil Modi said some opposition parties had called the vaccine developed in the country as "BJP vaccine".
"Opposition parties like Congress, RJD who seek an opportunity for politics in time of adversity kept questioning the quality of the Indian vaccine or mocking it. This is the reason the vaccination in rural areas could take place at a fast pace. Some were calling it a 'BJP vaccine' while some were challenging the Prime Minister to get vaccinated with Covaxin first. Many important personalities including Prime Minister Narendra Modi got themselves vaccinated and created confidence among people," he said.
He said before questioning the government, Tejashwi Yadav should explain why RJD leaders Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi have not yet taken the COVID-19 vaccine.
"How many RJD MLAs have got vaccinated? Does the RJD want to keep villagers and the poor away from vaccination and put their lives at risk?" he asked.
The BJP leader said the central government first implemented a nationwide lockdown to prevent the COVID infection and got two 'Made in India' vaccines ready within a year. He said DRDO on Monday launched a drug developed by it against COVID-19.
He said the central and state governments have held fastest free vaccination drive by providing 17 crore doses in 114 days.
Sushil Modi alleged that Mamta Banerjee had tried to "threaten" the CBI with her protest outside its office following arrest of four TMC leaders and it "was an attack on the federal structure of the country".
"After the arrest of four leaders including two ministers from West Bengal in the Narada Sting case, TMC's protest in their defence and the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reaching the CBI office and threatening is an attack on the country's federal structure," he said.
"The mandate does not mean that the ruling party has got a license to protect all types of criminals. Lalu Prasad and Jayalalithaa were not above the law, so they had to go to jail. A chief minister behaving like a goon due to arrogance of electoral success in unfortunate," he added.
Earlier on Monday, CBI arrested top TMC leaders Madan Mitra, Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee and former TMC MLA Sovan Chatterjee in connection with the Narada scam. Soon after this, Mamata Banerjee arrived at the CBI office in Kolkata. TMC supporters also staged a protest outside the CBI office.
The case relates to a sting operation, known as Narada Sting Operation, in which these public servants were caught on camera while receiving "illegal gratification". (ANI)