Betraying its promises, the BJP government has begun dismantling Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics — putting thousands of livelihoods at risk and stripping lakhs of citizens of essential healthcare. AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj slammed the BJP-led Delhi Government’s move to terminate the jobs of thousands working in Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics, warning that the BJP is systematically shutting down pro-people schemes, just as Arvind Kejriwal had cautioned.
During a press conference, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “Thousands of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and multi-tasking workers (MTWs) working at Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics reached CM Rekha Gupta’s ‘Janata Darbar’ today. They reached there because a decision has been made to terminate their jobs. This has come to light through the Minutes of Meeting dated 7 May 2025, referring to a meeting held on 17 April 2025.”
He shared that it was stated in that meeting that most Mohalla Clinics in Delhi will be shut down as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are being opened in their place. It was also stated that wherever there is an Ayushman Arogya Mandir, there is no need for a Mohalla Clinic nearby, and hence, those clinics will be closed. Until these Arogya Mandirs become operational, the Mohalla Clinics will continue running, but the moment these Mandirs are functional, the clinics will be shut and their staff will be sacked.
The senior AAP leader added, “Since then, the Mohalla Clinic staff have been requesting an appointment with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, but she hasn’t given them any time. That’s why, today, thousands of them were compelled to reach her Janata Darbar directly.”
Pointing to BJP’s opposition to AAP’s welfare schemes, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “AAP and Arvind Kejriwal always warned that the BJP has consistently opposed schemes like free electricity, Mohalla Clinics, 20,000 litres of free water, and several other welfare measures. We said repeatedly that if the BJP ever came to power, they would shut all these schemes down, because they’re against them.”
He continued, “But this time, BJP’s top leaders – including the Prime Minister himself, JP Nadda, and all BJP MPs and ministers from Delhi – promised the people that no welfare scheme of the Aam Aadmi Party government would be shut down. They gave public assurances.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj asserted that despite those promises, the first order passed after their government came to power was from the Health Minister, who earlier directed that 250 Mohalla Clinics, operating on rented premises, be shut down. They cited corruption – but till date, no report has clarified who was corrupt or how the corruption occurred.
“Later they said that the remaining clinics would be renamed as Arogya Mandirs. We said fine, you can change the name, but at least let people continue accessing healthcare. But now, even that was not enough for them. They’ve gone a step further and decided that wherever an Arogya Mandir opens, the existing Mohalla Clinic will be shut. As a result, thousands of people will lose their jobs,” he added.
Highlighting the impact, the AAP Delhi State President stated, “Many of these people have been working at Mohalla Clinics since 2017. For eight years, this has been their livelihood. Their entire families depend on these jobs. And it’s not like they were earning in lakhs. Some earn Rs 8,000, some Rs 10,000, and they get paid based on the number of patients they attend to. Their earnings haven’t even increased since 2017.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “When our government was in power, they met me about three months before we left office. I told them clearly that we wanted to increase their pay and issued orders to do so. Because just like others receive dearness allowances over the years, these workers also deserved better compensation.”
He continued, “At that time, many Mohalla Clinic workers came to meet me. I told them, ‘Today if you strike, ministers call you for a meeting and engage with you. But if BJP comes to power, they will fire you from your jobs.’ Some of them laughed. They thought I was exaggerating. But today, that warning has come true.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj pointed to previous mass layoffs by the BJP, stating, “The BJP has already sacked over 10,000 bus marshals. Data entry operators working in OPDs of hospitals were fired. Yoga trainers who held camps across Delhi were fired. DARC fellows working in various constituencies were removed. Contractual workers in different departments were terminated. Guest teachers were dismissed. And now it’s the turn of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and MTWs working in Mohalla Clinics.”
He concluded, “It’s deeply shameful. The Arvind Kejriwal government gave employment to the poor. These jobs helped sustain households. And now the BJP government – so heartless – doesn’t care how someone will feed their family if they lose their job. Out of political vendetta, they are shutting down services. And on top of that, the patients who came to these clinics daily, who got free treatment, free medicines, and free tests – those healthcare services are also being scrapped. This is a matter of great sorrow.”
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