MP: Godse devotee’s Cong entry opposed

Bhopal: The recent induction of a “staunch follower” of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Naturam Godse in Congress has kicked up a storm in the party with former PCC president Arun Yadav on Friday threatening to stage a revolt against the state leadership over the issue. Mr Yadav on Friday released a video in which he made a scathing attack on the decision by Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath for welcoming Babulal Chaurasia, a former leader of Hindu Mahasabha who was caught on camera worshiping Godse in Gwalior in 2016, in the Congress a couple of days ago. He described the move as unacceptable to him and many other Congressmen and threatened to hit the street.

As the government gears up to exponentially expand the vaccination coverage of the general population from March 1, the Union health secretary and chairman, Empowered Group on Vaccine Administration (Co-WIN) on Friday held a meeting with states and Union Territories to work out the final details.

The Covid vaccination of Age-Appropriate Groups — all citizens above 60 years of age, and those within the age bracket of 45 to 59 years with specified co-morbidities — will be held at government and private healthcare centres. During the meeting, States and UTs were explained the process of empanelment of private hospitals as Covid vaccination centres and process of advance self registration, onsite registration of potential beneficiaries.

“The new phase of vaccination of age-appropriate groups will expand the Covid vaccination in the country manifold. With a citizen–centric approach, the fundamental shift in this phase is that citizens in the identified age groups, as also those healthcare workers and frontline who have been missed out or left out of the present phase of vaccination, can select vaccination centres of their choice. Secondly, the private sector hospitals will be involved as Covid vaccination centres to harness their potential to expand the vaccination capacities,” Union health ministry officials said.