BJP MLA slams Serum India over anti-Covid vaccine pricing, calls its CEO Adar Poonawalla 'dacoit'

BJP MLA criticised Adar Poonawalla after the SII CEO announced a price of Rs. 600 per dose of Covishield supplies to private hospitals.

Upset over anti-coronavirus vaccine pricing by the Serum Institute of India (SII), a BJP MLA has compared its CEO Adar Poonawalla with a "dacoit" and asked the government to "acquire" the company under the Epidemic Diseases Act. Gorakhpur MLA Radha Mohan Das Agrawal made the remarks after SII on Wednesday announced a price of Rs 600 per dose for Covishield supplies to private hospitals and Rs 400 per dose to state governments. "@adarpoonawalla you are worse than a dacoit. @PMOIndia @AmitShah @blsanthosh @drharshvardhan should acquire your factory under epidemic act," the MLA, who is also a doctor, said in a tweet in Hindi on Wednesday.