New Delhi, August 7: A fierce confrontation erupted between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the ruling party during the monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly over an alleged ₹650 crore medicine scam. AAP legislators protesting for an immediate discussion on the scam were marshaled out of the house. Following this, party members chanted slogans against the government, accusing the BJP of evading accountability.
AAP Chief Whip Sanjeev Jha spoke to the media, alleging that the Delhi government purchased medicines worth ₹100 crore for ₹400 crore. He also claimed that portable ventilators and other medical equipment were bought at inflated prices. Jha accused the government of attempting to cover up the issue instead of facilitating a fair investigation. He stated that his party had demanded an immediate discussion on this alleged scam under Rule 59 of the Assembly, but instead of allowing the discussion, the government expelled opposition members from the house.
He further alleged that the BJP government has not conducted question hours in the Assembly for two consecutive sessions, hindering accountability. According to Jha, question hour is a crucial means for the government to answer public concerns. If there is no question hour, how can the opposition raise issues related to the public and ensure accountability? He noted that in the past 20 months, question hour has only been held once, and even then, the government failed to answer any questions.
Later, the assurance to respond was also not fulfilled. An AAP legislator claimed that besides the medicine scam, the government is avoiding discussions on serious issues like the bicycle scam and event scam. He stated that the government seems to be trying to protect officials and fears the truth coming to light. Legislator Kuldeep Kumar also targeted the BJP government, stating that there have been significant irregularities in the purchase of medicines, ORS solutions, and portable medical machines.
He remarked that when the opposition demanded a discussion on this issue, the first two legislators were expelled, and others were warned of being marshaled out. Kumar emphasized that this matter directly affects the treatment of poor and needy patients in Delhi. Therefore, the government should conduct a detailed discussion in the Assembly to bring the full truth to the public. He asserted that AAP will continue to raise this issue and will force the government to respond.
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