Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo has been removed from CoWIN certificates issued for COVID-19 vaccinations. The certificates, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, have long borne images of Mr. Modi, with a quote saying, “Together, India will defeat COVID-19.” The quote remains, with an attribution to the Prime Minister, sans his name.
The removal was pointed out by social media users on Wednesday. Mr. Modi’s photos were also summarily taken down from all government websites when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force ahead of the general election.
The PM’s photo has previously been removed from CoWIN certificates issued in specific States while the MCC was in force during State Assembly elections.
“The photograph, along with the message of the Prime Minister in the vaccination certificates reinforces the message for creating awareness about the importance of following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour even after vaccination, in the larger public interest,” Bharati Pravin Pawar, then-Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, had written in an August 2021 Rajya Sabha response justifying Mr. Modi’s photo being included in vaccine certificates though other countries did not include their leaders’ pictures in similar certificates.
