Suvendu Adhikari demands CBI investigation in Kolkata Covid vaccine fraud, writes to Health Minister

Kolkata, June 26: BJP Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has written a letter on Friday to the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, demanding probe into the Kasba Covid Vaccine fraud in Kolkata by the central investigating agencies.

 

In the letter, Adhikari cited that though Covid vaccination drives are being ramped up daily in states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat with the central government spearheading the largest free Covid vaccination for all Indian citizens above 18 years old, West Begal’s record in vaccination is abysmal due to lack of enthusiasm and co-operation from the Bengal government.

 

 

He claimed that the man behind the illegal vaccination camps posing as an IAS officer, Debanjan Deb, had influence in the ruling party and questioned the impartiality of the Special Investigation Team set up by the Kolkata Police to probe the case. "Decorated with trademark blue and white balloons characteristic of TMC (Trinamool Congress) government events, these camps had already been held in Amherst Street, Sonarpur and hundreds of persons have already been inoculated in these camps," he said in the letter.

 

 

He stated that these ‘vaccination camps’ were passed off as government drives by decorating it with trademark blue and green balloons as in TMC government events. Suvedu states that these camps have been held in Amherst street Sonarpur and hundreds of people have been inoculated. Moreover, Suvendu alleges that while Aadhaar cards of people in Kasba were procured from the vaccine recipients, they have not yet been issued certificates of vaccination.

 

He further said that while copies of Aadhaar cards were procured from the recipients in Kasba, none of them received any certificate of vaccination. Adhikari further asked if the shots really were Covishield vaccines as being claimed by Deb and if so, flagged pilferage of Covid vaccines from government stock.

 

 

"This cannot happen without the complicity of top civic authorities. If these were not Covid vaccines, then immediate investigation needs to be done as to what was being administered at such a large scale," he said. There are several 'incriminating' photos suggestive of the accused's influence in the ruling party, the Leader of Opposition said, alleging that Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, minister Subrata Mukherjee, MP Santanu Sen and several others had been seen 'directly or indirectly endorsing the activities of Debanjan Deb'.

 

"In such a situation with so many influential ruling party leaders and government representatives being seen in close proximity to the accused, we have serious doubts about an impartial investigation from Kolkata Police that follows the instructions of the same government... I sincerely urge you to order a thorough investigation by concerned central agencies into this vaccination fraud and punish the guilty," he wrote.

 

 

Suvendu urged the Union Health Minister to order a thorough investigation by the central agencies, undaunted by pressure from the West Bengal state’s ruling party and government which is necessitated to restore the credibility of the entire Covid vaccination drive in West Bengal.

 

Earlier on Friday, an SIT was formed by the Police to investigate the matter two days after TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty was duped in the fake vaccination drive. Deb was subsequently arrested based on Chakraborty's complaint.