"I want to say that I welcome the vaccine. I would like to thank the scientists who have developed it. It is the duty of the government to help people in times of a pandemic," Ajay Kumar Lallu said. (file) Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu on Thursday said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should be the first one in the state to get vaccinated as it will help people get rid of misconceptions about the vaccine.
Speaking to The Indian Express on Thursday evening, Lallu said: “I want to say that I welcome the vaccine. I would like to thank the scientists who have developed it. It is the duty of the government to help people in times of a pandemic. When the pandemic struck, people contributed through money and other ways. Now that the vaccine is here, my primary demand is that it should be provided to people for free. CM Yogi Adityanathji should get the vaccine first because that will help people get rid of all the misconceptions about the vaccine.”
On January 2, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said he would not take the “BJP’s vaccine”, and that when “our government” comes to power, everyone would be vaccinated for free. Following criticism, he had subsequently tweeted the same day that he had “full confidence” in the ability of scientists, but would not take the BJP’s “political vaccine”.