Adar Poonawalla's claim elicit different responses from Maharashtra’s ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi

The partners in Maharashtra’s ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance took different positions on Serum Institute of India chief executive Adar Poonawalla’s claim that he was threatened by some powerful people in India. Congress on Monday said it would provide protection to Poonawalla if he returned to Pune where the company is headquartered. While the Nationalist Congress Party claimed that the Serum Institute chief was himself responsible for the mess that he was in, a Shiv Sena minister said the police could probe the matter if he filed a case.

“If Poonawalla feels that he is being threatened, then the Congress would protect him. However, we want him to start the production of vaccines under any circumstances (for supplies to states),” Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said.

Patole said Poonawalla should reveal the name of the people who threatened him. “The rules say that someone should have asked for security and only then he should be provided. How did the Centre suddenly decide to give him security? Either Poonawalla or the Centre should reveal as to where did the threat come from,” the Congress leader said.


Maharashtra minister of state for home Shamburaj Desai, who belongs to the Shiv Sena, told media persons that the police would probe the case if Poonawalla filed a complaint.

NCP minister Nawab Malik, however, said Poonwalla too should take some blame for the vaccine controversy. “Poonawalla himself first announced different rates for the vaccine, one for the Centre at ₹150, then ₹600 for private hospitals and then ₹400 for state government which he then brought down to ₹300. All these statements have created doubts in the minds of the people,” said Malik.

BJP leader Ashish Shelar alleged that Poonawalla could have been under pressure from a “regional political party”. “We have some information on this. We are getting information (about the threats) and we will soon expose the party behind this.”