‘Faulty COVID vaccine’: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren on 12 deaths during constable recruitment drive

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has alleged that the BJP-led government "forcefully" administered "faulty" vaccines to poor people. (File photo: PTI)

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday claimed that “faulty COVID-19 vaccine doses” administered by the BJP-led Union government were responsible for the death of 12 candidates during physical tests for an excise constable recruitment drive in the state.

The remarks by the and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader came after the state government was forced to halt the recruitment drive for three days following the deaths on Monday. The recruitment drive began on August 22 at various centres across the state.

Addressing an event in Ranchi, Soren alleged that the BJP-led government had given “faulty vaccines”, which was resulting in people losing their lives from colds and coughs. “Some incidents have happened in which a few youth have died while running. Deaths are not happening due to running; people are even dying while walking,” he said.

Soren claimed that the vaccine was “banned worldwide but supplied in India”, leading to many deaths. He further alleged that the vaccine was “forcefully administered by the previous BJP regime to poor people to collect donations”.

While Soren did not explicitly name the COVID vaccine as such, the reference was obvious. The Covishield vaccine had come under scrutiny over concerns around safety and efficacy and was banned in several European countries. However, no conclusive evidence has emerged linking the vaccine to the recent deaths.

The Chief Minister’s remarks also came at a time when the recruitment drive waded into controversy with several candidates complaining about being forced to run in scorching heat.

While the police have registered a case of unnatural death in the matter, the Chief Minister on Wednesday directed officials to ensure that the physical tests for the recruitment drive are carried out before 9 AM.

The Opposition BJP has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the families of the deceased and demanded that the Soren government provide Rs 50 lakh and a government job for each of the families of those who lost their lives during the recruitment drive.