Rishikesh, June 15 -- Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday said that the Muslim community in the country is avoiding the COVID-19 vaccine over apprehensions and misconceptions.

"The Muslim community in our country at present - I am deliberately taking name - is keeping away from vaccination. They still have hesitation, apprehensions and misconceptions," said Rawat, Indian Express quoted in a report. He was speaking at an event on World Blood Donors Day.

Further, Rawat appealed to social organisations and the media to raise awareness in the community that the vaccine is not harmful. "If you do not take the vaccine, this disease will not get over and anybody can f...