‘INSULT TO INDIA’: JAVADEKAR SLAMS KAMAL NATH FOR VARIANT REMARK

NEW DELHI Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday accused Congress leader Kamal Nath of “insulting the nation” by referring to the B.1.617 variant of coronavirus as the “Indian variant” and said the opposition has not only been stoking fear and apprehension, but also weakening the fight against Covid.

Addressing the media, Javadekar said Congress president Sonia Gandhi should explain why her party is engaged in negative politics. “He called it the Indian corona. And said Hamari Pechaan, Mera Bharat Covid. This is an insult to India,” Javadekar said.

To be sure, it has become common practice the world over to refer to mutant strains of the SARS-COV-2 virus which causes Covid by the location where they are first identified. For instance, one identified in the UK late last year is called the UK variant . However, the Indian government has been vary particular about ensuring that no one calls the B.1.617 variant, first identified in India, as the Indian variant and even issued a statement in this regard. Nath, while attacking the government over its response to the second wave of Covid-19 had referred to the variant first found in India as the “Indian variant”.

Javadekar insisted that the opposition has created doubts about vaccines. “When Covaxin was developed they called it the BJP vaccine; now when the vaccine has proved effective, they are spreading doubts...”

His reference was to the Indian drug regulator’s unprecedented emergency use authorisation granted to Covaxin, in clinical trial mode, before even interim data on the efficacy of the vaccine was available. Subsequently, this interim data did show the vaccine was very effective, but it is still not clear on what basis the approval was given. News reports on Saturday claimed that as countries reopen for travellers, they will look for those vaccinated with vaccines approved either by their regulators or WHO. Covaxin is yet to be approved by WHO, although some reports add that this is largely a procedural issue and will be sorted out soon.