BJP’s petty politics cost a young man his life, said AAP Delhi Unit President Saurabh Bharadwaj, hitting out at the BJP-ruled Delhi government for scrapping the Farishtey scheme — which once saved hundreds by ensuring free, immediate treatment for accident victims. Citing the death of 26-year-old Aman Jha, denied treatment at four hospitals, he said his life could have been saved if the scheme still existed.
Saurabh Bharadwaj recalled that even earlier, BJP’s favourite LG tried to sabotage the scheme, and the moment BJP took power, it shut it down. Accidents spare no one, he warned, urging CM Rekha Gupta not to kill a scheme that saves lives.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “It is often seen in court cases, and doctors also confirm, that if a person injured in a road accident receives treatment within an hour, their chances of survival increase significantly. This was the very reason why the previous Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi launched the ‘Farishtey’ scheme.”
He elaborated, “Under this scheme, if anyone met with an accident on Delhi’s roads, they were admitted to the nearest private hospital and treated, with the entire cost covered by the Delhi government. This scheme saved hundreds of lives. But it is a matter of great shame that the BJP government currently in power in Delhi has shut down this life-saving scheme.”
Referring to a recent incident, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Two days ago, on Tuesday, lawyer Ashok Agarwal wrote a letter to the Delhi government citing the case of a 26-year-old youth, Aman Jha. He wrote that the day before yesterday, Aman met with an accident on a Delhi road. He was first taken to the nearby Spinal Injury Centre, where he was not treated. He was then taken to Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, where again he was not treated. After that, he was taken to Prima Super Speciality Hospital, but he still did not receive treatment. Finally, he was taken to the government-run Safdarjung Hospital, where he died.”
“Aman Jha could not receive timely treatment and lost his life. This is exactly why the previous Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi had launched the Farishtey scheme — so that if any person admitted a road accident victim to the nearest hospital, the Delhi government would bear the full cost of treatment and save that person’s life. This scheme had indeed saved hundreds of lives,” asserted the AAP Delhi unit chief.
Attacking the current administration, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “The BJP-ruled Delhi government has now shut down this scheme. The BJP must understand that when a person travels on the road, an accident does not check whether that person is a BJP member or a relative of a BJP leader. An accident can happen to anyone, and the Farishtey scheme was exactly the kind of programme that was saving the lives of such accident victims.“
He continued, “When the AAP was in power in Delhi, the BJP’s favourite LG, Vinai Saxena, had made every possible attempt to stop this scheme. Payments to private hospitals under this scheme were deliberately withheld, and the scheme’s funds were blocked. As Delhi’s Health Minister at the time, I was forced to approach the Supreme Court, and only after the court’s order were the funds released and the scheme allowed to run smoothly again. Now, with the BJP in power in Delhi, the BJP-ruled government has once again stalled this scheme — resulting in the death of a 26-year-old youth, Aman Jha, due to lack of treatment.”
Making a direct appeal, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Through the media, I request Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta that such schemes are meant for public service. Do not shut them down merely because of petty politics. Let no other Aman Jha lose his life on the streets of Delhi due to lack of timely treatment.”
