The Covid-19 vaccination programme launched by the Central government on Saturday was a historic occasion, considered to be the largest such initiative in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself addressed the nation explaining the significance of the historic programme.
Everybody took it very seriously and all the chief ministers in the country took part in the inauguration of the programme in their respective states. However, one chief minister who was conspicuous by his absence was K Chandrasekhar Rao of Telangana.
While chief minister of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated the session at Vijayawada and personally oversaw vaccination to a sanitary worker, KCR was nowhere to be seen.
However, his son and state IT minister K T Rama Rao took part in the inauguration of the Covid-19 vaccination programme at Urban Primary Health Centre at Amberpet, while health minister Eatala Rajender did the same at Gandhi Hospital.
Naturally, KCR’s absence at such an important programme would kick up debate. There was a talk that the chief minister was not keeping good health and hence, doctors advised him not to attend public functions.
But he looked alright when he attended the official meeting the previous day to discuss the preparedness for vaccination programme.
He also met several delegates at his residence. There is also another talk that KCR, as usual, took it easy as he does it with any other official programmes.
Bharatiya Janata Party found fault with the Telangana chief minister for abstaining from the Covid-19 vaccination program launched all over India.
“If he had any other issue in not launching the programme personally, as an elected head of the state, he should have at least given a public message to people of the state to participate in the historic vaccination programme,” BJP spokesman K Krishna Sagar Rao said.
He said KCR’s conduct was grossly irresponsible towards public health in the state, especially in a state that has witnessed the second highest infection rate in India.
The chief minister did not even give a message to the public to undergo safe vaccination, whereas Governor Tamilisai Soundarrajan had done it, he pointed out.