After Baba's anti-vaccine remarks, BJP leader says Muslims hesitant towards vaccine

Dehradun: Amid the controversy over the now-withdrawn remarks by Baba Ramdev against the COVID vaccine and some right-wing quarters promoting 'Cow Urine and Dung' to keep the virus infection at bay, the senior BJP leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said it is the Muslim community who is reluctant to get vaccinated.

Rawat's comment that the Muslim community is avoiding COVID vaccination over misconception is viewed as a deliberate attempt to divert attention from the controversy created by Baba Ramdev and 'dung' bathing subjected to severe criticism by the Indian medical community.

The Muslim community is avoiding Covid vaccination as it has apprehensions and misconceptions about the vaccine, said Rawat while speaking to reporters at an event on World Blood Donor Day in Rishikesh.

"The Muslim community in our country at present – I am deliberately taking name – is keeping away from vaccination," he said. He also appealed to social organisations and the media to raise awareness that the vaccine is not harmful.

Adding that herd immunity will be developed when 80 per cent of the population is vaccinated, he also urged all to come forward for vaccination.

He also warned that COVID would not get over and anybody can fall prey to it, and we can become a super spreader if we do not take the vaccine.

The former CM also demanded to implement stern measures such as blocking phones and stopping salaries of those avoiding vaccination as did by the Pakistan government.

"Such steps can create awareness among masses", he said.

Meanwhile, confirming Rawat's comments, during Jamiat-Ul Ulema Hind's(JUH) working committee held in Gujarat's Vadodarahma on Monday, decided to actively participate in the drive to promote vaccination among the Muslim community, reports Indian Express.

A resolution stating that the need of the hour is to prepare the community for an imminent third wave of the virus was also passed in the meeting by the Ulama on Monday, says the report quoting Mufti Imran Dheriwala of Panigate in Vadodara, who held the meeting of JUH.

The meeting having 60 clerics from across the state, including Bhavnagar and Palanpur, resolved to conduct camps across the state to encourage Muslim community members to take Covid-19 vaccination, which has been hesitant due to "mistrust", says the report

Reacting to Indian Express, Muslim community leaders said that community members had not taken the vaccine despite repeated attempts by the respective administrations.

Quoting them, the report also says that the administration made public announcements at mosques to encourage vaccinations in March and April in Godhra and Anand, but no one came forward. The community leaders also said that only less than one per cent of the community members had taken the jab so far, even in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat.

Mufti Imran also added that JUH would educate the community members about the importance of vaccines during Friday prayer at the mosques across the state.

Meanwhile, The Baroda Muslim Doctors Association (BMDA) has held two vaccination camps in Vadodara since last week. In another development, The Surat Municipal Corporation has decided to set up vaccination centres at Muslim community-run hospitals and mosques.

"We have circulated videos of Islamic clerics and Muslim doctors who have taken the vaccination in Surat. We are coordinating with the trustees of mosques and dargahs to open up vaccination centres in Muslim-dominated areas." reports Indian express as Municipal commissioner BN Pani saying.