New Delhi:
Former Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had wrapped up his three-decade-long political profession to return to what he referred to as his “roots”. In a protracted farewell message posted on X, previously Twitter, he stated, he would proceed his work in opposition to “tobacco and substance abuse, against climate change and teaching simple and sustainable lifestyles”.
His message got here because the BJP fielded Praveen Khandelwal from Chandni Chowk, a seat which Mr Vardhan holds at current. His identify didn’t determine within the 195 names introduced within the get together’s first record.
The 69-year-old, who began his political profession with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s ideological mentor, additionally stated a “swayamsewak at heart”, he jumped into electoral politics “at the insistence of the then RSS leadership”.
“They could convince me only because for me politics meant opportunity to fight our three main enemies – poverty, disease and ignorance,” he added.
Dr Harshvardhan had stepped down from the submit of the Union Well being minister in July 2021, shortly earlier than a cupboard reshuffle. He was changed by Mansukh Mandaviya.
The Congress alleged that his exit was Centre’s tacit admission of its all-round failure to handle the Covid pandemic.
A physician, Harsh Vardhan loved a sterling report in his stints as well being minister — in Delhi after which the Centre.
However the unprecedented scale of devastation in the course of the second Covid wave ambushed India’s well being infrastructure.
1000’s of sufferers had died, determined for oxygen, hospital beds and vaccine.
Photographs of our bodies floating within the Ganga or washing up on its banks in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar performed out in Indian and overseas media.
His removing was seen as a powerful message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in regards to the significance of efficiency.