A controversy broke out on Saturday over a viral audio clip, in which a woman, allegedly representing a Bengaluru hospital, is heard saying that Basavanagudi BJP MLA Ravi Subramanya receives a share of the cost of each Covid-19 vaccine dose the hospital administers.
The purported phone conversation between social worker HM Venkatesh and the woman, said to be from AV Multispeciality Hospital in Hosakerehalli, triggered a political row, with the Congress terming it "shocking and scandalous".
In the audio clip, the woman states that each dose of the vaccine costs Rs 900, of which Rs 700 goes to Subramanya. She is also heard saying that the hospital received the vaccines through the BBMP and the MLA.
Subramanya refuted this, even as Congress demanded his arrest along with his nephew, Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya, accusing them of "diverting Covid-19 vaccines from government facilities to private hospitals and profiteering from it".
Soon after the audio went viral, Subramanya rushed to the hospital to seek a clarification.
"Some people aren't able to digest that vaccines are available for Rs 900. This is a political conspiracy. Some people are unfit to do work and they look to spoil what others are doing. I don't have to answer such people," Subramanya said.
In a statement, the hospital said the audio clip was "concocted", and that its vaccination drive had nothing to do with the MLA. "It clearly appears that the conversation is calculated to specifically defame the hospital and the Basavanagudi MLA," AV Multispeciality Hospital chairman Dr Rajesh Murthy said.
"The vaccines are procured by the hospital and are administered to people by charging the government-prescribed rate," he said.
BBMP health officials clarified that no private hospital is supplied with Covid-19 vaccines by them. BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said, "The incident has not come to our notice and we do not supply vaccines to any private hospital. If there is any complaint I will look into it."
Police officials in the Bengaluru South division confirmed that they received a complaint on this matter. "We're still verifying the facts stated in the complaint and yet to register an FIR," an official said.
The Congress latched on this, with AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala terming this as "scandalous and shocking".
Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar said the allegations against Subramanya were serious. Also, he said Surya was promoting "paid vaccination" in private hospitals. "A suo-motu FIR should be filed, High Court must monitor the probe and they should be disqualified by the Speaker," he said.