New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued orders to provide Y-Category security on Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO and Owner Adar Poonawalla.
While making the announcement, MHA said that ‘Y’ category security across India has been accorded to Adar Poonawalla by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in view of “potential threats” to the Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO, involved in the production of one of the Covid-19 vaccines in India.
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Post this order, Poonawalla will be provided security by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
The development comes after SII Government and Regulatory Affairs Director Prakash Kumar Singh had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 16 requesting security for Poonawalla while stating that he has been getting threats from various groups regarding the vaccine supplies.
“We are working shoulder to shoulder to fight against COVID-19 pandemic with the Government of India under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji,” PTI quoted Singh as saying in his letter.
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The Serum Institute of India manufactures AstraZeneca’s vaccine known as Covishield in India at its Pune facility. The other vaccine being used in the country to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic is Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.