Launching a blistering attack on the BJP government, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Chief Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar on Sunday slammed the imposition of Ayushman Yojana in Delhi as a “scam on the people,” citing Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) damning findings of widespread irregularities.
Pointing out to the BJP prioritizing grand events over genuine healthcare, Priyanka Kakkar said that under Ayushman Yojana, patients are abandoned until hospitalization, unlike the Arvind Kejriwal model where all treatments — from OPD consultations to surgeries — were free for every Delhiite. “If the BJP truly cares about people’s health, it should study Arvind Kejriwal’s model, adopt it fully — even if it wants to rename it,” she said.
AAP’s Chief Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar addressed a press conference at the party headquarters on Monday, saying, “Today, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has forcibly imposed the Ayushman Bharat Scheme on the people of Delhi — a scheme about which the CAG had pointed out numerous irregularities. People are not receiving proper treatment under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
The Chief AAP Spokesperson noted that due to the scam in the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, even BJP-ruled Haryana had refused to implement it. Now, this Ayushman Bharat scam has been forcibly imposed upon Delhiites. Delhi’s CM Rekha Gupta is claiming to deliver the Ayushman Bharat scam scheme to a handful of beneficiaries.
Priyanka Kakkar pointed out that beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme cannot avail OPD services. Until a beneficiary is admitted to a hospital, they cannot avail any benefits under this scheme. If an elderly person has diabetes and needs regular check-ups from a doctor, or suffers from minor ailments like fever, cough, or cold, they will not be able to use the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
Highlighting the stark difference between the AAP government’s healthcare approach and the BJP’s scheme, Priyanka Kakkar said, “Under the AAP government, the people of Delhi were provided healthcare facilities without any limit or restriction. It was not a mere ₹10 lakh insurance cover. Under the AAP government, people received treatments worth thousands to lakhs of rupees absolutely free at government hospitals.”
“Today, Delhi’s BJP government has forcibly imposed a ₹10 lakh insurance on the elderly. This is highly condemnable. What is even more shameless is that the BJP organized a grand program merely to distribute a few Ayushman Bharat cards and pat each other on the back. Lakhs of rupees would have been spent separately on organizing that event as well,” she added.
Raising serious concerns about the inadequacy of the new scheme, Priyanka Kakkar asked, “Does the BJP know how much it costs — God forbid — if an elderly person requires cancer treatment or a bypass surgery? Can a ₹10 lakh insurance cover those expenses? Will the BJP, even once, leave aside its petty politics and study the healthcare benefits provided by the AAP government? Why did stalwarts like Kofi Annan praise the AAP government’s healthcare model? Would it cost the BJP anything to study it once? If they find Arvind Kejriwal’s healthcare model good, they are free to adopt it, even if they rename it.”
“We would have no objection. Due to its petty politics, the BJP has destroyed Delhi’s excellent healthcare model and pushed the city backwards. The AAP government had improved Delhi’s healthcare system with great effort and sincerity. The BJP now seeks to earn praise by distributing a handful of Ayushman Bharat cards. This is extremely unfortunate,”concluded Priyanka Kakkar.
