The Union health ministry has made a significant alteration to the CoWIN certificates for Covid-19 vaccinations by eliminating the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Previously, these certificates prominently displayed Modi’s image alongside a quote expressing India’s unified determination to combat coronavirus. Although the quote – “Together, India will defeat COVID-19” – continues to be credited to the prime minister, his name has been removed from the certificates, as reported.

In the wake of AstraZeneca’s admission in a UK court, concerns regarding a potential connection between Covishield and Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare blood clotting disorder, have reemerged. This has prompted many in India to reevaluate their vaccination certificates.

On the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter), users have observed a notable alteration: the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph from the Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued in India. X user Sandeep Manudhane remarked, “Modi ji no more visible on COVID Vaccine certificates. Just downloaded to check – yes, his pic is gone.”

Another user, Irfan Ali, who described himself as a Congress functionary, commented, “Yes, I just checked and PM Modi’s photo has disappeared and there is only a QR code instead of his photo.”

Hi @BhavikaKapoor5 ,

Yes, I just checked and PM Modi’s photo has disappeared and there is only QR code instead of his photo.

Guys, please check your covid vaccination certificate. #LokSabhaElections2024 #covidshield https://t.co/tyhQ12oIhI

— Irfan Ali (@TweetOfIrfan) May 1, 2024

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare officials informed on Tuesday that the removal of the image from the vaccine certificate was due to the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

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It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first instance of Prime Minister Modi’s photo being removed from Covid vaccination certificates.

In 2022, Modi’s photograph was similarly removed from vaccination certificates issued in five states: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa. This directive came from the Election Commission of India (ECI) in anticipation of the assembly elections in those states.

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