GOYAL SLAMS K'TAKA CM OVER REMARKS ON HASSAN'S HEART ATTACKS

In a scathing attack on the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for linking the alleged hasty rollout of Covid vaccines to the recent spurt in fatal heart attack cases in the state, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal questioned whether Siddaramaiah was pushing the agenda of foreign companies.

- BELLE THOMAS

He was speaking to the media after attending an interactive session with industrial leaders organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Bengaluru on Saturday.

"In a large country like India, 250 crore vaccine doses were given for free because our companies had the capacity and produced vaccines for less than Rs 100," Goyal said.

"The Chief Minister of this state - when he insults and undermines our scientists and pharmaceutical sector - I question his intentions. Is he working to further the agenda of foreign companies?" Goyal asked.

"Are these foreign companies, which are trying to harm India's pharmaceutical industry and are worried about our economic progress and capabilities, being supported by the Congress government, its Chief Minister, and its allies? Are they deliberately portraying Indian companies in a bad light?" he questioned.

"Is something suspicious going on? The Chief Minister must answer and apologise to Indian scientists and pharmaceutical companies," Goyal demanded.

"Fake narratives cannot dilute the extraordinary work done by our scientists and the pharmaceutical industry in our fight against COVID," he said.