‘Faulty’ COVID vaccine behind recruitment drive deaths: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) alleged that “faulty” COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by the BJP-led Union government were responsible for 12 candidates losing their lives during physical tests for an excise constable recruitment drive in the State.

The remarks came after the State government on Monday (September 2, 2024) halted the drive, which began on August 22 at various centres across the State, for three days following the deaths.

The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP-led government had given “faulty vaccines”, which have had a global impact, and that people were dying even from colds and coughs. Mr. Soren was addressing an event in Ranchi to provide monthly financial aid of ₹1,000 to women beneficiaries under the Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana.

He also announced that the State government would lower the entry age for the scheme from 21 to 18 years. “We have given jobs in many sectors, and recruitment of excise constables is going on. However, some incidents have happened in which a few youths have died while running.

Deaths are not happening due to running; people are even dying while walking,” he said. Without naming a specific vaccine, Mr. Soren claimed that it was banned worldwide but supplied in India, leading to many deaths. He also alleged that the vaccine was “forcefully administered by the previous BJP regime to poor people to collect donations”. Questions had been raised about the safety and efficacy of the Covishield vaccine, which was banned in several European countries. However, there is no conclusive evidence linking the vaccine to the recent deaths.

“That particular vaccine was banned worldwide and it was only supplied in India due to which many people are dying in the country. People are even dying due to cold and cough. Forget old people, even the young are dying. Notice was issued to ban that vaccine, but these people forcefully gave that vaccine to poor people to collect donations.”

The excise constable recruitment drive has been marred by controversy, with several candidates lodging complaints about being forced to run in scorching heat. Over 500 candidates also reportedly fainted during the drive at different centres. Though the Jharkhand police have lodged cases of unnatural death, they are yet to reveal the post-mortem reports.

Mr. Soren also made an indirect attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the BJP co-in charge for the Jharkhand Assembly poll, accusing him of spreading communal tension and failing to prevent “Bangladeshi infiltrators from entering the country through Assam”.

“One leader who comes from Assam has got the maximum degrees in spreading communal tension between Hindus and Muslims. He cannot handle his own State and gives a path to Bangladeshis to enter [the country]. He has opened the door for them and blames us. In Jharkhand, there is no path for Bangladeshis, why cannot he close the door in Assam?” Mr. Soren said.

He also urged the people of Jharkhand to be cautious ahead of the election, alleging that the Opposition might use illegal methods to win, including disturbing communal harmony.