Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Thursday passed a resolution condemning Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president Arvind Kejriwal for failing to implement the government’s Ayushman Bharat central – a national public health insurance scheme – in the Capital, and for allegedly “misinforming people” about the AAP government’s Sanjeevani Yojana scheme.

The BJP also said it had sent a proposal to the council’s legal department to examine whether Kejriwal – an ex-officio member as a lawmaker from New Delhi – could be removed from office for failing to attend four consecutive meetings of the civic body. , and for not having taken the oath as a member.

In response, the AAP claimed that the Delhi government was allocating ₹9,000 crores per year for its people, while the budget of the entire country under Ayushman Bharat is only ₹7,200 million. Party leaders also said that Kejriwal’s removal as a member of the NDMC was “untenable”.

The Ayushman Bharat program, launched in 2018, aims to provide health coverage to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalizations.

Under the Sanjivani Yojana, all Delhi residents aged 60 and above will get free treatment in government and private hospitals in the city, and the cost will be borne by the state. However, on December 25, the state health department declared the project “non-existent”, no such project had been notified by the Delhi government, and urged residents not to not share their personal data, highlighting the strange internal discord within the administration.

On Thursday, the resolution passed by the NDMC was signed by five BJP members: New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj, vice-president Kuljeet Singh Chahal and members Anil Valmiki, Sarita Tomar and Dinesh Pratap Singh. Kejriwal was not present, while the other AAP member – Delhi Cantt MLA Virender Kadiyan – argued that the council could only deliberate on issues related to the NDMC, not the Delhi assembly.

The other council members are all bureaucrats.

Sharing the details of the resolution, Swaraj posted on Ayushman Bharat in Delhi was passed unanimously. Furthermore, it has become clear that no such scheme as the so-called Sanjeevani Yojana exists. Important issues related to the development of the New Delhi region were also discussed in detail.

In response, the AAP claimed in a statement that Delhi’s health allocation was more than the entire Ayushman Bharat budget.

“The Delhi government spends 16% of its budget on healthcare, ₹9,000 crores per year for its residents; in contrast, the entire country’s budget under Ayushman Bharat is only ₹7,200 million. In Delhi, all medicines, tests and treatments are completely free,” the statement said.

“Arvind Kejriwal has created such an excellent healthcare system that no one from Delhi seeks treatment in UP or Haryana. Moreover, under Ayushman Bharat, there is no OPD facility and the scheme has several exclusions. For example, if a household has a refrigerator or a television, it is excluded from the program; However, under the Delhi government’s health schemes, there are no such restrictions. This ensures that healthcare is accessible to all, without discrimination,” the statement added.

Separately, Chahal told a press conference that a proposal had been sent to the council’s legal department to examine whether Kejriwal could be removed as a member.

“Section 8 of the NDMC Act makes it clear that if for three consecutive months any member without authority of the council is absent from all meetings of the council, the council may recommend to the central government that the seat of such member be declared vacant. We have sent the matter to the legal department to legally review the matter and advise us on next steps,” he said.

True, the new NDMC council was constituted on November 9, with Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena administering oath to the members.

Kadiyan said the proposal is not legally tenable as Kejriwal is an ex-officio member due to his status as an MP from New Delhi. “In October the council was reconstituted and the cycle must start again,” he said.