A group of lawyers, led by senior counsel R. Vaigai, have written to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), expressing concern over a poster prominently displayed on the commission’s website thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing free COVID-19 vaccines for all.
The advocates said the poster was circulated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to all government departments with instructions to display it on their websites and other places. It was also being widely used as propaganda material by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The University Grants Commission’s mandate to universities and colleges to display the poster attracted severe criticism from many quarters. Leaders from political parties pointed out that the message was intended to mislead the public that COVID-19 vaccines were being distributed free and that it was being done at the behest of one individual. “The NCDRC, being a court of law, however, cannot be used as a platform for any propaganda,” they said.
