Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme accusing him of doing politics over the issue of public health in the national capital. 

Arvind Kejriwal’s reaction followed after PM Narendra Modi criticised the Delhi and West Bengal governments for failing to implement the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme out of political interest. The Prime Minister also said that he was disappointed with the state of free healthcare for the elderly in Delhi and West Bengal and called it a missed opportunity to serve the senior citizens.

Addressing an event at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Ayurveda, PM Modi apologised to all the elderly aged above 70 years in Delhi and West Bengal, and said that due to the state government’s decision, he cannot help them. 

Responding to PM Modi’s allegation, the former Delhi Chief Minister said that speaking wrongly about the issue of public health and indulging in politics on it is not right. Taking to X, Arvind Kejriwal 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. He further claimed that he is yet to meet a person who got treatment through the Ayushman Bharat scheme. 

Targeting the Prime Minister, Arvind Kejriwal said that speaking wrongly over public health issues and indulging in politics on it is not right. He further stated that under the Delhi government scheme, each person in the city receives free medical treatment, and the government bears the entire cost whether it’s a Rs 5 pill or treatment worth Rs 1 crore. He also offered to send a list of lakhs of beneficiaries of Delhi government’s health scheme. 

The AAP national convenor also questioned benefits under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, saying the CAG found several irregularities in it. 

In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed chargesheet against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan in Delhi Waqf Board money laundering probe.

The 110-page supplementary chargesheet also named one Mariam Siddiqui, who was not arrested by the ED as an accused in the case. Reportedly, the court is likely to take it up for consideration on November 4.

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested by the ED on September 2 from his Okhla residence and is currently in judicial custody. Furthermore, the legislator from Okhla was arrested after the federal agency raided his house and questioned him for a few hours. 

In April 2024, the ED approached the court seeking an arrest warrant against Amanatullah Khan, citing his non-appearance before the agency. The ED had filed a chargesheet against his alleged associates Daud Nasir, Zeeshan Haider, Jawed Imam Siddiqui and Kausar Imam Siddiqui in January.

The central agency also alleged that the AAP MLA acquired huge proceeds of crime in cash through illegal recruitment of staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested these to purchase immovable assets in the names of his associates.

As per the Enforcement Directorate, AAP MLA Khan benefited from leasing out Waqf Board properties when he was the board’s chairman between 2018 and 2022.

Earlier on October 18, the ED informed the Delhi high court that its probe into Amanatullah Khan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is based on the multiple FIRs.

The ED also opposed Khan’s plea challenging his arrest in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in appointments at the Delhi Waqf Board during his time as chairperson. 

The ED further alleged that Amanatullah Khan is misleading the court by referencing the outcome of one FIR while neglecting to mention ongoing investigations related to other FIRs. It also stated that evidence gathered during the investigation, including statements recorded under Section 50, indicates that Khan appointed individuals close to him, circumventing legal procedures and committing multiple irregularities for personal gain during his tenure as Chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed Trinamool Congress Party in West Bengal and Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi for not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme. He said that the tendency to oppress ailing people for political interest is inhuman. 

He made this statement while launching the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) health insurance scheme for senior citizens. Under the aegis of this scheme, people aged above 70 years will get a health cover up to Rs 5 lakh annually. Furthermore, those already covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme will get a top-up of Rs 5 lakh crore. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) aims to benefit about 6 crore senior citizens.

The Prime Minister said that there was a time when people’s houses, lands, jewellery were sold for treatment. He continued that the soul of the poor trembled on hearing the cost of treatment for a serious disease, and the helplessness of not being able to get treatment due to lack of money would shatter the poor. He expressed that he could not see his poor brothers and sisters in this helplessness, and therefore the Ayushman Bharat scheme was born. He mentioned that around 4 crore people in the country benefited from the scheme.

However, he apologised to the elderly in Delhi and West Bengal for being unable to serve them. He said that he would know that they are in trouble, but he won’t be able to help them as the governments in Delhi and West Bengal are not joining this scheme.

He stated that the tendency to oppress the sick people of the state for political interests does not stand the test of humanity. He said that he can serve the people of the country, but the walls of political interests are preventing him from serving the elderly people of Delhi, and West Bengal.

Under this Ayushman Bharat scheme, the Centre and state governments shoulder the cost of premiums in a 60-40 ratio. However, both Bengal and Delhi governments have health insurance schemes of their own, which they claim are better than the Centre’s plan. 

Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said the government has prepared five highlights of a national health policy – First is preventive healthcare, second is timely intervention, third is affordable treatment and medicines, fourth is robust facilities and qualified doctors in small cities and the fifth is use of advanced technology. He continued that India now looks at healthcare with a holistic viewpoint. The Prime Minister launched a string of health projects worth Rs 12,850 crore.