COURTESY HT JAN 17

Protesting farmers disrupt drive at Kaithal
Karnal : A Covid-19 vaccination centre set up at a school in Kaithal had to be shifted after members of the BKU (Charuni) staged a protest at the site and barred doctors from carrying out the drive, on Saturday.

The farmers’ union leader raised slogans while demanding that the first dose of the vaccine should be given to politicians and top officials, instead of the common man.

The doctors then shifted the centre to the civil hospital, where the drive began one hour late. The vaccination process went on smoothly at the new location.

“We are not against vaccination, but we want the top officials take the shots first,” said Hoshiar Singh Gill, BKU (Charuni) district president.

Gill said that they also came to know that the local BJP MLA, Leela Ram Gurjar, was to inaugurate the vaccination drive, and this agitated them as the MLA had raised questions over the ongoing farmers’ agitation.

Kaithal SP Lokender Singh said that some people were protesting at the vaccination centre and therefore the drive was shifted to the civil hospital.

Neeraj Mohan