MR vaccination: Anti-vaccine lobby has no religion'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A doctor has taken strong exception to BJP state secretary K. Surendran's Facebook post which gives a communal colour to the opposition to the ongoing MR vaccine campaign in the state. The BJP leader shared a photograph of a doctor pleading with a group of anti-vaccine protestors not to obstruct the vaccination campaign at a school. In the caption, he took a dig at CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's recent statement challenging the BJP-RSS to prove religious terror in the state; ''Kodiyeri challenged to prove religious terror. It is relieving to know that all this is being done to safeguard secularism." 

Dr P. S. Jinesh of Kottayam medical college sought to indirectly lay stress on the religious identity of people who were opposing vaccine. ''I don't have any agreement with those opposing the vaccination campaign. I welcome the government decision to take action against such people. But let me clarify that they are not the main people opposing the vaccination," he said. He said N. P. Prasad, Mohanan, Jacob Vadakkanchery, Sajan Sindhu and P. G. Hari are those who are in the forefront of anti-vaccine campaign. The rest are only victims who have been misled by their propaganda, he said. 

The health activist said he has no idea whether Mr Surendran was aware of the people mentioned above. However, the picture posted by him on Facebook questions secular notions. "It is uncivil to mix religion and caste with vaccination campaign. It is the duty of every citizen to ensure vaccination coverage to children irrespective caste and religion. It is also the duty of politicians like Mr Surendran," he said. He requested the BJP leader to withdraw the controversial post.