New Delhi, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Monday accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of showing hatred for people from Bihar, the Purvanchal areas and other states, following the latter’s remarks the day before on people from Bihar getting free medical treatment in the national capital.
In response to Tiwari, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) says that the BJP is making issues out of non-issues.
Praising the Delhi government’s health facilities, the Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor had said on Sunday that despite the massive expansion of public healthcare infrastructure in the capital, some hospitals still see some overcrowding.
“This is because people from across the country are coming to Delhi now to access our hospitals. Today, someone from Bihar can take a Rs 500 ticket to the capital, get free treatment in our hospitals and return happily. It is a matter of great pride and happiness for us that the people of the entire country are confident in Delhi Government hospitals,” the Chief Minister had said.
Reacting to this, Delhi BJP president Tiwari on Monday said Kejriwal has been targeting the Purvanchalis, which is another name for people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
“This statement is shameful. This is an example of Kejriwal’s hate and dislike for people from other states and particularly Puvanchalis. His real face is coming out. This is even sadder as the statement was being made at a time when Bihar is battling with an extreme flood situation,” Tiwari said.
He said the hospitals and doctors are not having any issues with the outstation patient, but “it is only Kejriwal who is having issues. This is his real face,” Tiwari said.
He asked “why does it pain Kejriwal” if a patient from Bihar or any other state gets treatment in Delhi .
“Now, he (Kejriwal) is making it personal as he has been defeated in several elections”, Tiwari said.
“Since I have become the chief of Delhi BJP, Kejriwal has abused me, my father and also my profession. If he is having personal enmity with me, I don’t care. I have seen several negative people like him. But humiliating people from Bihar, UP or any other state will be a big reason for Kejriwal’s exit from city,” he added.
According to Tiwari, “Delhi is not disabled, you (Kejriwal) are not capable. Delhi is mini-India and is capable of giving and serving all. The city will give an answer to Kejriwal in the elections. Kejriwal is not getting the support of people for the upcoming Assembly elections and so he is making all these statements.”
He also recalled that last week Kejriwal had said that Tiwari would be the first one to leave Delhi if the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise is implemented in the national capital.
Tiwari has been demanding a NRC for Delhi to filter out the “illegal foreign migrants” living in the city.
“The CM has an intention to evict the people from other states. He is a curse for Delhi. We are all shocked and feel bad for his statement,” he added.
Tiwari noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the facility of free medical treatment worth Rs 5 lakh to people through the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
“This scheme has not been implemented by Kejriwal in Delhi, so what is his problem?” Tiwari asked.
Speaking to media, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said that the BJP, which was already faceless in Delhi, has now become an issueless party.
“Three BJP leaders were fighting to be the CM face in Delhi. Now, there are restless as they are not able to find any issue in Delhi. They are taking up non-issues and making fuss about it.”
“The BJP-ruled states have been throwing out and killing the people from UP and Bihar. Now they are the leaders who claim to care and think about purvanchalis.
“In Gujarat and Maharastra they have disturbed the lives of people from other states. Thousands of Purvanchalis were beaten up and thrown out of Surat and Ahmedabad. There was no word from the PM, or the Home Minister or Tiwari,” he added.
Singh noted that health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP is in power, is in a questionable state as every year children are dying because of lack of proper healthfacilities.
There are floods in Bihar and parts of UP. “Why they are not speaking about the work being done there.”
Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, said the BJP is accusing the AAP, “a party whose state Chief Minister is pro-Purvanchali, and at least 13 MLAs are from Purvanchal.”
“What Kejriwal made was a simple statement that the health facilities are so improved in Delhi that even people from outstation are availing these. Delhi’s health policy does not discriminate between people on the basis of their origins. We don’t ask people their state. The BJP is twisting the statement.”
As a party, AAP stands with all people, including Purvanchalis, Singh said.
AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha, who is a Purvanchali, said that people from the belt have been most benefited by Kejriwal’s schemes.
