Cautioning Indians against rumours about coronavirus vaccination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the country is preparing to undertake the world’s largest vaccination drive against the infection.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone of a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Gujarat’s Rajkot via videoconference, Modi said: “In 2020, there was a question mark from all sides due to Covid-19 pandemic. But 2021 is coming with the hope of a treatment for Covid-19.”
“The way in which people took proper steps is the reason why we are in good a situation even amid the pandemic, despite a 1.3-billion population. More than one crore people have fought the pandemic and won. India’s record is much better than other countries in the fight against Covid-19,” he said. Warning the people to not get carried away by rumours, Modi said: “In our country, rumours spread quickly. Different people, for their personal gains or due to irresponsible behaviour, spread various rumours.”
“Maybe, the rumours will be spread when the vaccination drive begins; some have already begun,” the Prime Minister said. He appealed to the people to refrain as responsible citizens from forwarding messages on the social media without checking. He said that ‘dawai bhi aur kadaai bhi’ should be our mantra for 2021.
“Earlier, I said dawai nahi toh dhilai nahi’ (no relaxation till no medicine). Now, I am saying ‘dawai bhi aur kadaai bhi’ (strictness even with medicine). Our mantra for 2021 is ‘dawai bhi aur kadaai bhi’.”