Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal Saturday lashed out at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him and the Congress of belittling India’s scientific community and pharmaceutical sector. Goyal’s rebuttal came in response to Siddaramaiah’s recent remarks suggesting a possible link between Covid-19 vaccines and the rising incidence of heart attacks in Hassan district.
Defending India’s vaccination drive, Goyal, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, said, “India, with its vast population, successfully provided 250 crore vaccine doses free of cost because of our companies’ ability to manufacture vaccines for less than Rs 100 per dose. But here we have a chief minister who seems to be insulting and undermining them. When they demean our scientists and the pharmaceutical industry, it raises questions about their motives. Are they acting at the behest of foreign powers? Are these powers uncomfortable with India’s progress and trying to harm our pharmaceutical sector?”
Goyal alleged that Siddaramaiah’s remarks appeared to serve the interests of those opposed to India’s economic growth. “The Congress party, along with their chief minister, must clarify whether they are weakening India to serve external interests. They must apologise to our scientists and the pharmaceutical industry,” he said.
The row erupted after Siddaramaiah, in a post on X on July 1, linked the recent spike in heart attack deaths in Hassan district to Covid-19 vaccines. Citing reports of over 20 heart attack-related deaths in the district in a month, Siddaramaiah wrote, “It cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the Covid vaccine to the public could also be a reason for these deaths, as several studies worldwide have recently indicated that COVID vaccines could be a cause for the increasing number of heart attacks.”
The chief minister announced the formation of an expert committee led by Dr K S Ravindranath, senior cardiologist and former director of the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, to investigate the deaths.
However, the committee in its study found no direct causal association between Covid-19 vaccination or prior Covid-19 infection and premature cardiovascular disease. In fact, most global studies reviewed in the report confirmed that vaccination is protective against long-term cardiac risks. The report attributes the rise in sudden cardiac events to a combination of factors including lifestyle changes during the pandemic (poor diet, reduced physical activity, stress, etc); higher prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, obesity); genetic predisposition, recreational drug use, and binge drinking and vigorous physical activity shortly before death in some cases.
The report emphasises that ‘long Covid’ is unlikely to be the driver behind the current rise in sudden cardiac deaths. It points instead to common, modifiable risk factors as the dominant contributors.
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Siddaramaiah’s comments had triggered widespread criticism from health experts, industry leaders like Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and the Union Health Ministry, which warned against spreading vaccine hesitancy.
Amid the backlash, Siddaramaiah clarified his stand on July 3, reiterating that his statement stemmed from empathy towards grieving families and not from anti-vaccine sentiments. He said, “When parents lose young children or families lose breadwinners suddenly, demanding answers is not misinformation – it is governance rooted in empathy.”
He also acknowledged the crucial role played by Covid-19 vaccines in saving lives but cited global studies and even admissions by some vaccine makers, including AstraZeneca, regarding rare side effects like myocarditis. He further explained that his reference to “hasty” approvals was about the emergency nature of vaccine rollouts worldwide, which were taken with limited long-term data – a “calculated risk” acknowledged by the World Health Organization itself.
“Scientific caution is not anti-science,” he said, emphasising that transparency in governance also includes acknowledging rare risks.
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Meanwhile, Goyal also took a swipe at the Congress-led UPA government’s record on trade agreements. He asserted that India now negotiates from a position of strength, with national interest as its top priority.
“Since the Modi government took charge, India has signed free trade agreements with Mauritius, the UAE, Australia, the EFTA group (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), and the UK,” Goyal said. He noted that negotiations are underway with the EU, the US, Oman, Peru, and Chile.
“This is not the weak India of the Congress-UPA era, which signed deals compromising our national interests. Today, India negotiates confidently and competes globally,” he remarked.
