Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo has been taken off the COVID-19 vaccine certificates (CoWIN) for by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The certificates previously featured Modi’s image alongside a quote about defeating COVID-19, now retaining the quote but without his name.
This removal was noted by social media users and was attributed to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The change has occurred before during state Assemblies and general elections, emphasizing the importance of COVID-19 appropriate behavior post-vaccination.
“Modi ji no more visible on Covid Vaccine certificates Just downloaded to check – yes, his pic is gone,” a social media user named Sandeep Manudhane said.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare officials told The Print that the image was removed according to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) directions, as the MCC is in place during the ongoing seven-phase LS polls.
This is not the first time Modi’s photograph has been removed from vaccination certificates. In 2022, his image was also removed from the certificates issued in five poll-bound states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa – ahead of the assembly elections in those states.
The presence of Modi’s photograph on the vaccination certificates had previously sparked controversy, with the Kerala High Court dismissing a plea challenging it in 2021.
The court had then remarked that the Indian government may be proud of its Prime Minister, unlike other countries.
While the recent admission by AstraZeneca regarding the potential side effects of Covishield, including Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), has reignited speculations around the safety of the vaccine, the removal of Modi’s photo from the certificates was not directly linked to this development, but rather a result of the ongoing election process.
