The outgoing Deputy Mayor of the Asansol Municipal Corporation (AMC) in West Bengal landed herself in a controversy after videos and photographs showing her administering the COVID-19 vaccine went viral on social media. Tabassum Ara, former elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) functionary of the civic body in the State’s Paschim Bardhaman district, with no medical training, is allegedly seen in the videos taking the syringe from a nurse standing beside her in a vaccination camp and administering the vaccine it to a female recipient.
The development triggered a strong response from the Opposition, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“The TMC’s manhandling of the lives of people knows no bounds.. A non-medical official, TMC’s Tabassum Ara, member of administrative board of AMC, chose to vaccinate the people herself, in spite of doctors and nurses being present there… Is she even medically authorised to do so?” BJP MLA from Asansol Dakshin Agnimitra Paul said on social media
Later in the day, Ms. Ara denied administering the vaccine and said that she had only been holding the vaccine to create awareness on vaccination.
Fake vaccine arrest
Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police arrested one more person in the fake vaccination controversy. The accused, Indrajit Shaw, was an associate of the scam’s kingpin Debanjan Deb, and had played a key role in organising a vaccination camp at City College, an official of Kolkata Police said. So far, nine people have been arrested in the fake vaccination racket. The accused have been charged with attempt to murder, among other Sections of the IPC. The scam came to the fore in June after TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty raised an alarm upon not receiving the vaccination certificate despite being administered a vaccine. Several such vaccination camps had been held in the city and hundreds were allegedly administered fake vaccines.
