NO PM MODI'S PHOTO ON COVID VACCINE CERTIFICATE | HEALTH MINISTRY REVEALS WHY

New Delhi: In a recent update to India's COVID-19 vaccination certificates, the Union Health Ministry has removed the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This adjustment was noted by several users on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). A user on X said, "Modi ji no more visible on COVID Vaccine certificates. Just downloaded to check – yes, his pic is gone."

Earlier, the vaccination certificates featured a photograph of PM Modi along with a quote: “Together, India will defeat COVID-19.” While the quote remains, the Prime Minister's name no longer accompanies it, as reported by The Hindu.

The timing of this change also coincides with renewed discussions on the Covishield vaccine, produced by AstraZeneca, following admissions in a UK court about its possible rare side effects, including Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), which involves blood clotting.

However, this change aligns with past actions during election periods to ensure adherence to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which is currently in effect due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Health ministry officials clarified the alteration's timing and reasoning, stating that during election periods, the presence of political figures on official documents is avoided to maintain electoral fairness, said a report by ThePrint.

Back in 2022, similar modifications were made to vaccination certificates in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa ahead of state assembly elections.

The decision to initially include PM Modi's photograph on the vaccination certificates had previously sparked debate. In 2021, this issue reached the Kerala High Court, where Justice PV Kunhikrishnan said in response to the argument that the certificates issued in other countries did not carry the photos of elected leaders, “They may not be proud of their PMs, we are proud of our PM.”

2024-05-02T05:47:30Z dg43tfdfdgfd