HYDRABAD: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has alleged that the Centre did everything possible to "forcefully" prevent import of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, especially when people were ready to get the best vaccine.
KCR claimed that he and MANY other Chief Ministers had lobbied for Pfizer in India, but the PM Modi Govt stalled the entry of the US pharmaceutical giant into India.
After Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that Pfizer had "tried to force the Indian government into agreeing an indemnity clause for providing their mRNA COVID vaccine," the Chief Minister made the statement during his rally in Nanded, Maharashtra.
During the World Economic Forum in Davos, MoS Chandrasekhar shared a tweet from Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in which the pharmaceutical company executive claimed that senior leaders in the Opposition had pushed the Centre to purchase vaccines made abroad during the pandemic rather than choosing vaccines made in India.
KCR claimed that "Make in India" had turned into a "Joke in India" while speaking to a news conference in Nanded, Maharashtra, on Sunday.
"Many global corporations are currently leaving China, so why can't we entice them back?" Why do those businesses not approach us? Why were they not permitted to come to India if Make in India and simplicity of implementation would have been appropriate? Pfizer, a business that produces vaccinations, was barred from entering India as part of COVID-19. Despite the company's best efforts, the Centre refused to let them visit. The Telangana chief minister questioned, "What was the cause?
"Although individuals wanted to acquire the finest vaccine and obtain it, the company was forcibly shut down. Many Chief Ministers attempted to reach an agreement with the PMO and Niti Aayog, but the government refused to let Pfizer come, KCR said.
KCR asserted that the Central Government was using the slogans "Make in India" to foster crony capitalism and deceive the populace and that some international corporations that were leaving China, such as Pfizer, were being barred from entering India. Where is India's environment? Do we actually live in a Make in India atmosphere as advertised? Is it simple to conduct business with us? Are the amenities made available to us? If there is, why can't we hire multinational businesses, he questioned? KCR continued his criticism of the Center by asserting, "They will work for those who are their pals. Why would they permit others to enter if they would inflate their stock market?
However, the Central Government had stated that they would not purchase the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna as local vaccines would be more reasonably priced and simpler to store.
In 2021, India was in talks with American businesses Pfizer and Moderna about the supply of these imported vaccinations, but in the end, India rejected their terms and conditions. The Centre turned down the US pharmaceutical companies' pleas for legal protection against any ill effects associated with the use of their vaccinations, which are widely used in both the US and Europe.
However, India successfully vaccinated its citizens, with "Made in India" vaccines as part of its widespread immunisation campaign, which has resulted in the administration of over 220.16 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the two years following its introduction.
In a recent tweet, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya referred to India's accomplishment as the "biggest and most successful vaccination effort in history." He praised the efforts of the medical professionals on the front lines who made this accomplishment possible.
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