Can't 'Thrust Down The Throat': AAP Opposes Ayushman Bharat Again In Delhi High Court

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi told Delhi High Court that its government was not accepting Ayushman Bharat Yojana as residents in the national capital were receiving 'superior' medical services under its own medical insurance scheme. AAP government also said that if Ayushman Bharat scheme were to be implemented in Delhi, it will 'downgrade' the health service benefits Delhiites currently enjoy.

Delhi's Health and Family Welfare Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj filed an affidavit in the court and explained the government's position. The Delhi government was asked by the court to respond after seven Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs filed a petition requesting the court to enable implementation of Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi.

In his affidavit, Bhardwaj alleged that BJP MPs had filed the petition with political goal in mind.

The affidavit said that the petition was "ostensibly filed as a public interest litigation, is nothing else but a politically motivated petition, filed in view of the ensuing elections to the legislative assembly of Delhi".

Bhardwaj said further that the BJP was "trying to impose its wishes on Delhi". He alleged that even when the petition sang 'unnecessary praises' of the Ayushman Bharat scheme it failed to mention benefits of health insurance scheme of Delhi government.

"The omission is deliberate in as much as had any such comparison been done between the scheme of the Central Government and the various schemes already being implemented by the Delhi Government, it would have been evident that the schemes of the Delhi Government are far superior to the scheme of the Central Government," he said.

Bhardwaj said that Ayushman Bharat scheme was based on data collected in 2011 census and was hence basing its conclusions on old data.

"Any scheme which is based upon an outdated data can by no stretch of imagination be thrust down the throat of any other government or for that matter people," the affidavit added.