AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called the petition by seven BJP MPs regarding the Ayushman Bharat scheme “politically motivated.” The BJP MPs had requested the implementation of the scheme. Bharadwaj’s response highlighted his belief that the move was driven by political interests. The petition is aimed at pressing the Central government to roll out Ayushman Bharat.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has informed the Delhi High Court that it has not implemented the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana for medical insurance because residents of Delhi benefit from “superior” health schemes provided by the Delhi government.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated in an affidavit that adopting the Centre’s scheme would diminish the existing health programs in the capital.
Bharadwaj’s response came in light of a petition filed by seven BJP MPs requesting the implementation of the central scheme.
He described the petition, “ostensibly filed as a public interest litigation,” as “politically motivated,” aimed at influencing the upcoming elections for the Delhi legislative assembly.
The affidavit reads,
“The petitioners are political figures from the principal opposition party in Delhi. This party has attempted to impose its will on the city, despite securing only 10% of the seats in the last assembly election,”
The Delhi minister criticized the petition for praising the Centre’s scheme while neglecting to mention the policies already in place in Delhi. He argued that a comparison between the two would reveal that Delhi’s schemes are far superior.
He asserted,
“If the existing schemes are replaced by the Centre’s scheme, it will result in a loss for the residents of Delhi,”
Emphasizing that policymaking is solely within the domain of the Delhi government, Bharadwaj stated that it is a settled principle that courts do not interfere in policy formulation.
He stated,
“The AB-PMJAY scheme is unsuitable for addressing the needs of the people of Delhi. It was created by the Central Government based on their available data. In India’s federal structure, it is not obligatory for every political entity to adopt the Central Government’s policies, especially when the local schemes are superior.”
The Delhi government also claimed that the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme relies on outdated 2011 Census data, which it described as “old and archaic.”
Bharadwaj pointed out that this data does not reflect the current needs of society and could lead to many individuals being ineligible for benefits, despite receiving free medical services under Delhi’s existing schemes.
He added,
“Any scheme based on outdated data cannot be imposed on any government or its people,”
In response, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj criticized the AAP government, asserting that there is a lack of willingness to implement the central scheme.
She clarified that the Centre’s initiative is intended to support, not replace, state government efforts.