BJP Promises Free COVID-19 Vaccine For Bihar, Receives Widespread Criticism

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday released BJP’s manifesto for the Bihar Assembly polls. The manifesto is titled ‘Paanch sutra, ek lakshya, 11 sankalp’. It promises 19 lakh jobs in the next five years, MSP regime for lentils and free COVID-19 vaccination for the people of Bihar.

Sitharaman stated that “as soon as coronavirus vaccine will be available for production at a mass scale, every person in Bihar will get free vaccination. This is the first promise mentioned in our poll manifesto,” reported ANI.

As soon as #COVID19 vaccine will be available for production at a mass scale, every person in Bihar will get free vaccination. This is the first promise mentioned in our poll manifesto: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the launch of BJP Manifesto for #BiharPolls pic.twitter.com/x4VjVmkA3Q

— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2020

Her promise soon raised the ire of Opposition and Netizens as they questioned if it was fair to raise.

Check out the tweets here:

Sanjay Raut,

Earlier it used to be – ‘tum mujhe khoon do,main tumhe azadi dunga’ & now it’s – ‘tum mujhe vote do,hum tumhe vaccine denge’.Only those who vote for BJP will get vaccine, it shows BJP’s discriminatory nature: S Raut,Shiv Sena on BJP’s promise of free COVID vaccine to all in Bihar pic.twitter.com/t5Dl90r9i4

— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2020

Shashi Tharoor,

तुम मुझे वोट दो मैं तुम्हे वैक्सीन …. what appalling cynicism! Will the ElectionCommission rap her & her shameless Govt on the knuckles? https://t.co/ri1UlWWmgD

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 22, 2020

@ANI, Does it mean, no vaccine to people of Bihar, if @BJP4India get defeated there, @nsitharaman

Remember, @narendramodi ji had pledged 1.25 lakh crore to Bihar, but forgot to disburse when his party was defeated during previous #BiharElection in 2015 https://t.co/UkLwqeD1ej

— Prabodh Kant (@prabodh_kant) October 22, 2020

Okay so vaccine distribution will happen as per election cycle. Rest of the country can continue to suffer. Amazing strategy by @nsitharaman and her @BJP4India

— Ruch (@semi_conscious) October 22, 2020

Means for Maharashtrian to get free vaccine, one need to wait till next Poll

— Sarcasm ™️ (@SarcasticRofl) October 22, 2020

BJP’s IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya reacted to the trolling on Twitter and said not just Bihar, the Centre will provide vaccines to all states at a nominal cost. He further added that it was up to the state to decide whether to give it for free or not since health is a state subject.

Bihar will go to polls in three phases with the first phase of elections set to be held on 28 October. The next two stages will take place on 3 and 7 November. The counting of votes will take place on 10 November.

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