Ujjain: A political row has erupted in Ujjain with Congress taking BJP Member of Parliament to task over promoting VIP culture while second wave of corona is wreaking havoc across the country.
The Congress party opened front against BJP MP Anil Firojia after the reports that his kin, staffers and supporters received corona vaccine at his residence-cum-office- went viral.
Terming it a blatant case of VIP culture, the party demanded that Firjia be suspended from his membership of Lok Sabha.
On the other hand, Ujjain collector has ordered an enquiry into the case. On the other hand, Firojia defended himself saying that one of his party workers had called the medical team to his place without his knowledge.
The row erupted after a government medical team allegedly administered COVID-19 vaccines to BJP MP Anil Firojia’s staffers, family members and supporters at his residence here, prompting the district authorities to order an inquiry into the incident.
The incident came to light after BJP worker Kapil Katariya posted a picture of himself getting a jab on Friday and thanked Firojia for it.
Social media users shared the pictures of the vaccination exercise carried out at the politician's residence and criticised the move.
On Saturday, ex-minister and Pradesh Congress Committee’s medical cell in-charge Jitu Patwari shot off a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard. In his letter, he alleged that on one hand people are being forced to wait for their turn for corona vaccination, the Ujjain MP facilitated his nears and dears by conducting a vaccination camp at his own residence at Bhakt Nagar.
“The MP openly flouted the provisions of Janta Curfew, Criminal Procedural Code and well as Epidemic Act and he should be booked under these laws,” Patwari said. He also demanded the PM to recommend to the Lok Sabha Speaker to immediately suspend the membership of Firojia for his shameless act.
Collector Asheesh Singh said he has ordered an inquiry into the matter after getting the information. “I have asked the officials to file a report about who gave the permission to send the team there. Strict action will be taken against the guilty. There is no provision to send a team to anybody's home,” he said.
However, Firojia clarified that he was not at home. “My mother is very old and has suffered injury in her leg. So, one of our workers, Kapil Katariya, called in the medical team. Had I known it before, I would never have allowed this to happen,” he said.
Firojia said he had himself got vaccinated at a hospital. “Rules are the same for everybody,” the MP said.
