Congress Hits Out At Tejasvi Surya For Giving Communal Twist To BBMP Bed-Blocking Scam

A video went viral on social media in which Tejasvi Surya can be seen taking names of people who were blocking the beds and were involved in the scam. The name of 17 people said out loud by Surya, linking them with the alleged bed-blocking scam, were all Muslim.

Photo: PTI

Karnataka Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad on Wednesday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya for allegedly giving a communal angle to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) bed scam. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Tuesday alleged at least 4,065 beds were 'blocked' in fake names by the hospitals to make money.

In a press conference, Surya alleged that some government officials in the BBMP (city corporation) war room in Bengaluru colluded with private hospitals to reserve beds for money.

"When people are struggling to find a bed in the hospital and begging everyone including MPs and MLAs to give them one, there are hospitals who say that no beds are vacant," Surya told reporters.

"When families after families are getting wiped out for lack of proper treatment, these incidents are not just corruption. This is murder," Surya told reporters.

Taking serious note of the incident, Bengaluru city police arrested two people and some officials are being questioned.

However, soon after Surya's press conference, a video went viral on social media in which the BJP Yuva Morcha president and Bengaluru South BJP MP can be seen taking names of people who were blocking the beds and were involved in the scam. The name of 17 people said out loud by Surya, linking them with the alleged bed-blocking scam, were all Muslim. Reportedly, more than 200 people are responsible for allocation of beds to Coronavirus positive patients in BBMP South zone war room handling.

Congress MLA from Shivajinagar, Rizwan Arshad strongly reacted to MP Tejasvi Surya listing out only 17 Muslim names when over 200 people were handling the war room in the BBMP hospital.

"Have some shame @Tejasvi_Surya. If you & the BJP Govt cannot help, at least don't spread the communal poison to hide your failures," Congress MLA from Shivajinagar, Rizwan Arshad, said.

Karnataka government has ordered the private hospitals and nursing homes to reserve 80 per cent of beds for coronavirus patients.