New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday kept up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark that the Delhi and West Bengal governments have not implemented the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme out of "political interests".
A day back, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal accused the prime minister of doing politics over the issue of public health in the national capital.
At a press conference on Wednesday, party spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar termed the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme a "scam" and said the PM should study the Delhi health model.
"Health is an important issue for the Aam Aadmi Party. We have presented such a model of health that Kofi Annan (former United Nations Secretary-General) appreciated us, and PM Modi has presented a scam under Ayushman Bharat... the CAG has to speak about this fraud," Kakkar said.
Prime Minister Modi should examine Arvind Kejriwal's Delhi health model and apply it to the whole country, she added.
The spokesperson claimed that out of 27,000 hospitals incorporated in Ayushman Bharat, 7,000 only exist on paper and 4,000 hospitals have not admitted any patients under the scheme.
Addressing a public gathering in New Delhi's All India Institute of Ayurveda on Tuesday, Modi said, "I apologise to all the elderly aged above 70 years in Delhi and West Bengal. I hear your pain, but due to the state governments' decisions, I cannot help you." Modi said he was disappointed with the state of free healthcare for the elderly in West Bengal and Delhi, and called it a missed opportunity to serve the senior citizens.
Reacting to Modi's allegations, Kejriwal said speaking wrongly about the issue of public health and indulging in politics on it is not right.
In a long post on X, he said PM Modi should study the Delhi model of healthcare and replace his government's Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme with it across the country for real benefit to the people.
MCD Workers Recieve Salaries & Diwali Bonus
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed that all MCD sanitation workers have received their salaries, along with a Diwali bonus, before the end of the month for the first time.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, Kejriwal announced that Rs 23 crore in Diwali bonuses and salaries have been credited into the accounts of around 64,000 sanitation workers.
He alleged that salaries were frequently delayed by six to eight months during the previous BJP rule in the MCD and often required protests by workers.
"During BJP's tenure, corruption was rampant and employees had to struggle for their dues. Under AAP, in the past two years, salaries are credited in the first week of every month, and no sanitation worker has had to protest," Kejriwal claimed.
"Keeping in view the upcoming Diwali festival, all 64,000 sanitisation workers have already got their salary before the month so that they can celebrate with their families. Along with this, Diwali bonus of Rs 23 crore has also been distributed.
"This is the first time in the history of the MCD that employees have got their salaries before the month-end," he added.
(This report has been published as part of an auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)