In a fiery press conference on Tuesday, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva lashed out at the Delhi government, accusing the AAP’s National Convener, Arvind Kejriwal of prioritising political motives over public welfare and remarked that he chose dirty politics over people.
Targeting Kejriwal, Sachdeva alleged, “In 34 cities, this Ayushman scheme is benefitting lakhs and crores of people. But two states, Delhi and West Bengal, have refused to implement it. The similarity between these two governments is their selfishness, ego, and disregard for public welfare. They live for themselves, and the people may suffer, but they don’t care.”
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Extending wishes for Makar Sankranti, Sachdeva also congratulated the people of Odisha for signing an MoU on Monday to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which he said was stalled by the previous government in the state.
Highlighting the BJP’s legal push to implement Ayushman Bharat in Delhi, he remarked, “Our ministers went to court, and even the court questioned why a scheme for the betterment of people is being blocked.”
“The real issue is that this is the Prime Minister’s scheme. Kejriwal doesn’t want the people of Delhi to stay healthy or their families to receive free treatment. He is only focussed on corruption and dirty politics,” Sachdeva claimed.
Sachdeva further criticised the AAP government’s inconsistency in implementing central schemes. “I’ve heard of two-faced snakes, but now I see one. The Ayushman Bharat scheme is bad for Delhi but good for Punjab because there are no elections in Punjab.”
He also accused the Delhi government of rejecting the PM-ABHIM scheme, which would have upgraded health facilities in the capital.
Sachdeva’s remarks came as Delhi Health and Family Welfare Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said in an affidavit in the High Court that the AAP government did not implement the scheme because the national Capital’s residents enjoy “superior” benefits under the Delhi government’s schemes and implementing the Centre’s scheme would downgrade the health schemes currently in force.
Sachdeva said, “The Union government offered Rs 2,400 crore to uplift Delhi’s healthcare, but Kejriwal’s health minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj, signed an affidavit denying it. Public labs, emergency wards, and critical health facilities could have been built with this money, but Kejriwal chose dirty politics over people.”
In conclusion, Sachdeva warned, “Kejriwal’s duplicity will not go unnoticed. The public will give him a fitting reply in the upcoming elections.”
The BJP also played a clip from a 2020-21 budget speech where former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia hinted at implementing Ayushman Bharat, questioning the government’s current stance.
