Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday alleged that people were still dying because of "defective" Covid-19 vaccine doses administered during the pandemic.

He claimed that though a particular vaccine was banned globally, it was still being supplied in India and given to the public.

Soren's remarks followed the recent deaths of 12 people during physical tests for an excise constable recruitment drive in the state. On Monday, the government halted the ongoing job drive for three days.

"Unfortunately, some aspirants died during the recruitment drive. The deaths are not only happening due to running; people are also dying while walking. It is known that the vaccine doses given to the people of this country during Covid-19 pandemic by the BJP government were defective and have had a global impact," Soren said.

Earlier, the Jharkhand BJP held the JMM-led state government's ‘mismanagement’ responsible for the deaths of the aspirants.

Taking part in a government programme, Soren transferred the first installment of Rs 1,000 each to the accounts of women beneficiaries under the ‘Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana’ (JMMSY).

A total of Rs 70.50 crore was distributed to 7.04 lakh beneficiaries across six districts - Ranchi, Khunti, Gumla, Simdega, and Lohardaga.

Addressing beneficiaries, Soren announced that the government decided to lower the entry age for the scheme from 21 years to 18 years. The CM revealed that around 50 lakh women had been included in the JMMSY so far.

He launched a scathing attack on the BJP, accusing the party of attempting to destabilise his government.

"Since our government came to power in 2019, the saffron party has been conspiring to destabilise the government. When they could not succeed, they used central agencies to put me behind the bars. But truth prevailed, and I am here before you," Soren said.

Indirectly targeting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Soren remarked, "A leader from Assam seems to have achieved maximum degrees in flaring up communal tension. He speaks Hindu-Muslim or engages in breaking the government."

Soren further alleged, "He (Sarma) allows Bangladeshi infiltrators to enter through his state's borders but blames us for the infiltration. He admits that Bangladeshis enter from Assam and spread across the country. If the entry door is in your state, why don’t you shut it?"

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