'Request you to study Delhi model': Arvind Kejriwal hits back at PM Modi's criticism over Ayushman Bharat scheme

Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism of the Delhi government over not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme and said it was wrong of him to politicize public health issues.

"It is not right to speak wrongly on the issue of people's health. It is not right to do politics on this," said Arvind Kejriwal in a post on X.

Kejriwal's remarks came after Prime Minister Modi criticized the Delhi and West Bengal governments for failing to implement the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme out of "political interests."

Notably, Delhi and West Bengal are among the states where the Centre's Ayushman Bharat Yojna is not implemented.

प्रधान मंत्री जी,

लोगों के स्वास्थ्य के मुद्दे पर ग़लत बोलना ठीक नहीं है। इस पर राजनीति करना सही नहीं है।

दिल्ली सरकार की योजना के तहत दिल्ली में रहने वाले हर व्यक्ति को पूरा इलाज मुफ्त मिलता है चाहे कितने रुपए लगें - पाँच रुपए की गोली से लेकर चाहे एक करोड़ का इलाज हो, दिल्ली… https://t.co/N63LDpTxDm pic.twitter.com/BisPXsitRf

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 29, 2024

The Ayushman Bharat Yojana is a scheme that aims to procure free access to health insurance coverage for families with low incomes. The scheme was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

In response, the former Chief Minister claimed that lakhs of people in Delhi get free medical treatment under the scheme of the Delhi government.

Taking to his social media X handle, Kejriwal posted, "Under the Delhi government's scheme, every person living in Delhi gets complete treatment free of cost no matter how much it costs - from a pill worth five rupees to a treatment worth one crore, the Delhi government provides complete treatment to every person free of cost. If you tell me, I will send you the names of lakhs of people who have benefited from this. Did people benefit from the Ayushman Bharat Yojana?"

He further alleged that many 'irregularities' were found in the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, and took a jibe at Prime Minister Modi, asking him to "study" the Delhi Model.

"CAG found many irregularities in the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. In the states where Ayushman Yojana is implemented, to date I have not met a single person who has been treated under Ayushman Bharat," Kejriwal said.

He added, "I request you to study the Delhi model and instead of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, implement the Delhi model all over India so that people can benefit on the ground."

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized to all the elderly people above 70 years of age in Delhi and West Bengal, due to the state government's decision not to participate in the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and said that the walls of political interests have hindered its implementation in their states.

Addressing a public gathering at New Delhi's All India Institute of Ayurveda, PM Modi said, "I apologize to all the elderly aged above 70 years in Delhi and West Bengal. I hear your pain, but due to the state government's decisions, I cannot help you."

"The tendency to oppress the sick people of your own state for your political interests is against any humane attitude and hence I apologize to the elderly people of West Bengal, I apologize to the elderly people of Delhi, I can serve the people of the country, but the walls of the political profession are preventing me from serving the elderly people of Delhi, and West Bengal," he said.

The Prime Minister further said that the world is seeing India as a big centre of medical and wellness tourism.