PM Narendra Modi’s photograph missing from Covid certificates after Covishield row. Know why. 

The Indian government has decided to remove the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the COVID-19 vaccination certificates. Previously, the certificates displayed a photo of Modi with a message saying, “Together, India will defeat COVID-19.” Although Modi’s name and photo are no longer on these certificates, the quote remains.

This change was first pointed out by users on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). One of the users confirmed that Modi’s photo had been replaced with just a QR code. The decision to remove the photo comes during the Lok Sabha elections, due to the Model Code of Conduct which prevents any potential advantage for the ruling party.

Officials explained that this isn’t the first time Modi’s photo was taken off the certificates. During the 2022 assembly elections in several states including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, the Election Commission also ordered the removal of his image from the certificates.

The practice of including Modi’s picture on the certificates had previously led to controversies. In 2021, it even reached the Kerala high court. The court had noted that other countries do not put photos of their leaders on such documents, to which it was argued that India is proud of its Prime Minister.