In a scathing rebuttal to the BJP government and Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday said the BJP and its LG have turned governance into a “laughing stock” by weaponising routine project delays as alleged corruption. Drawing a stark contrast with the Centre’s own record, AAP questioned why no CBI inquiries have been launched into the 10-year delay of the Bullet Train project or the fact that 53% of Central Government infrastructure projects face delays exceeding three years and massive cost overruns.
On this, AAP Delhi State President and former Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “Even as per press release by LG, the hospitals construction sanctions were given in 2017-18 and 2021. The estimates were also approved at the same time. I became the Health Minister in 2023. After I became the Health Minister, no file related to the cost or revised estimates of the hospital project construction ever came to me nor did I ever give any approval for any cost escalations. Inspite of this undeniable fact, conducting an investigation against me has made the whole matter ridiculous. Also, it shows the frustration and disappointment of the BJP and the LG.”.
In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) pointed out that the BJP Government and its Lieutenant Governor (LG) have turned governance into a perpetual joke. “They are wasting taxpayers’ hard-earned money on frivolous investigations. How can anyone imagine that a delay in an infrastructure project would be called corruption—especially at the level of Ministers? If this is the yardstick for registering corruption cases, then dozens of cases should be filed every day against Central Government Ministers,” the party stated.
The AAP noted, “ As of March 2023, 56.3% of Central Government projects monitored by MoSPI were delayed, with an average time overrun of more than three years. By July 2023, 809 projects were reported delayed, with a cumulative cost escalation of over ₹4.65 lakh crore. The original cost of 835 delayed projects (as of January 2023) was ₹10.88 lakh crore, which escalated to ₹14.07 lakh crore—a cost overrun of nearly ₹3.2 lakh crore. Will the CBI register cases against the respective Central Government Ministers?”
The party highlighted the flagship Bullet Train project—the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR)—which was approved in December 2015 to connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad (508 km), with an initial completion target of 2023. Now, the project is not expected to be completed before 2033, implying a potential delay of 10 years.
“By July 2022, expenditure had reached ₹28,442 crore, with revised estimates placing the final cost at ₹2 lakh crore—an 85% escalation from the original ₹1.08 lakh crore. That’s a ₹92,000 crore increase. This, too, is a case of delay and cost escalation that has nearly doubled the initial budget. Will the CBI register a corruption case against that Minister?” the AAP questioned.
“As per Central Government data, common causes for delays in projects include delayed regulatory approvals, land acquisition issues, financial constraints, contractor non-performance, environmental clearances, and bureaucratic inefficiencies. Can corruption cases be registered against Ministers for these reasons?” Concluded the statement.
