Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 27
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio broadcast on Sunday urged people to get themselves vaccinated against Covid-19 soon and not be misled by fearmongers.
How can one forget Milkha Singh. When he was in hospital, I told him you have to boost the morale of our athletes. He gave his consent even during his illness.
Modi sought to tackle vaccine hesitancy as he spoke to residents of Dulariya village, a tribal area in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, as they shared fears and doubts being spread about the jabs.
Support our team
Every athlete who is going to Tokyo has worked hard. It must be our endeavour to support our team and not put pressure on them.
Asking people to trust science and scientists, and dispel rumours, the Prime Minister said both he and his mother, who’s nearly 100 years old, had taken both doses of vaccine.
He cautioned against dropping vigil against coronavirus, saying that the virus was a “master of disguise”, a reference to its mutants. “To protect ourselves from it, we have two ways. One, adhering to the protocol for corona —- wearing a mask, frequently washing hands with soap and maintaining social distancing. The other, along with all this, is getting vaccinated,” he said.
Modi hailed the feat of administering over 86 lakh vaccine doses in a single day on June 21 at the start of the new phase of inoculation under which all adults are being given free jabs by the Centre. Over 31 crore people have got themselves vaccinated so far, he noted.
With National Doctors Day falling on July 1, Modi lauded the contribution of doctors in the Covid period and said the day had become all the more special this time.
In his broadcast, the PM also paid tribute and remembered the contribution of Indian sprint legend Milkha Singh, who died on June 18 after a month-long battle with Covid-19. Modi hailed Milkha Singh’s contribution to Indian sports and said he would always cherish his interactions with the athlete. Modi also shared the struggles and triumphs of Olympic-bound Indian athletes and said people must not build any pressure on these sportspersons but “cheer for India”. “Every athlete who is going to Tokyo has worked hard. They are going there to win hearts. It must be our endeavour to support our team and not put pressure on them,” he said.