Centre seeks report on fake vaccination racket busted in Bengal
On June 25, Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, wrote to Union health minister Harsh Vardhan seeking a probe by a central agency into the racket.
The Centre has sought a report from the West Bengal government by Thursday on the fake vaccination racket busted by the Kolkata Police last week.
Over 800 people, including ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament Mimi Chakraborty, are suspected to have been injected with antibiotic amikacin instead of Covid-19 vaccines at fake vaccination camps organised in Kolkata earlier this month. Debanjan Deb, 28, who impersonated as a bureaucrat, allegedly organised the camps.
“It is requested that the matter may be urgently enquired into and the factual position about the serious allegations clarified immediately and that, suitable and strict action may be taken in the matter, if necessary. It is also requested that a factual report on the matter may be sent to the ministry in the next two days,” said a Centre’s letter to the state’s chief secretary on Tuesday.
On June 25, Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, wrote to Union health minister Harsh Vardhan seeking a probe by a central agency into the racket.
The Kolkata Police have set up a Special Investigation Team to probe into the case and six persons have been arrested to date.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have alleged Deb shared close links with TMC leaders, including ministers after their pictures together surfaced. TMC leaders have rubbished the charges. “It is not possible to check the credentials of each and every person attending a public programme where anyone may click pictures,” state minister Firhad Hakim has said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the BJP cannot digest the defeat in the assembly elections and is hence resorting to “back-door politics”. “I don’t know whether the Union health secretary asked for a report from BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government when dead bodies of Covid-19 victims were dumped in the river. Where was he when West Bengal was requesting oxygen, medicines and vaccines? The state government is doing whatever is necessary. Police have started a probe and the state health department and civic body have held camps for the victims.”