PM Modi's photo removal sparks debate, Health Ministry officials react to public outcry

In a significant alteration to the CoWIN certificates for Covid-19 vaccinations, the Union health ministry has opted to remove the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Previously, these certificates prominently featured Modi's image alongside a quote affirming India's collective resolve to conquer coronavirus. While the quote – “Together, India will defeat COVID-19” – remains attributed to the prime minister, his name has been omitted from the certificates.

This change comes amidst renewed discussions surrounding the potential association of Covishield, the AstraZeneca-manufactured vaccine, with Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare side effect involving blood clotting. AstraZeneca's admission in a UK court has reignited concerns, prompting individuals in India to reevaluate their vaccination certificates in light of this development.

Observant users on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) were among the first to notice the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph on the Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued in India. Sandeep Manudhane, a user on X, remarked, "Modi ji no more visible on COVID Vaccine certificates. Just downloaded to check – yes, his pic is gone." Similarly, Irfan Ali, a self-identified Congress functionary, corroborated the change, stating, “Yes, I just checked and PM Modi’s photo has disappeared and there is only QR code instead of his photo.”

Officials from the ministry of health and family welfare explained to ThePrint on Tuesday that the image was removed from the vaccine certificate due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) being in place for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

This isn't the first instance of Modi’s photo being removed from Covid vaccination certificates. In 2022, Modi's photograph was also absent from certificates issued in five states: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa. The Election Commission of India (ECI) mandated this action in preparation for the assembly elections in those states.

The inclusion of Modi's picture on vaccination certificates had previously sparked controversy in 2021, which escalated to the Kerala High Court. Justice PV Kunhikrishnan had remarked in response to the contention that certificates issued in other countries did not carry the photos of elected leaders, “They may not be proud of their PMs, we are proud of our PM.”