AAP MLAs protest in Delhi Assembly, wear ORS garlands

AAP MLAs on Friday staged a protest in the Delhi Assembly wearing garlands made of oral rehydration solution (ORS) sachets to highlight alleged irregularities in procurement by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Central Procurement Agency (CPA).

The protest, held on the opening day of the monsoon session, came after the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) registered an FIR alleging large-scale irregularities in government procurement.

Demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Health Minister Pankaj Singh, AAP legislators raised slogans.

AAP MLAs were also marshaled out for demanding a discussion in the alleged scam. Speaking on the issue, AAP chief whip Sanjeev Jha said the BJP Government had refused to allow a debate on the issue and was evading accountability by convening two consecutive Assembly sessions without a Question Hour.

He alleged that medicines worth Rs 100 crore were procured for Rs 400 crore, while medical equipment was purchased at several times the actual cost. He accused the government of attempting to cover up the matter instead of answering questions in the House.

Speaking to the media, Jha said, “Portable ventilators were procured at 10 to 20 times the actual price, and while medicines worth only Rs 100 crore were actually purchased, purchases worth Rs 400 crore were shown on paper. Instead of conducting a proper investigation into this entire scam, the government is now trying to cover it up. We raised this issue in the morning as well and demanded in the House that a discussion be held under Rule 59.”

Jha said: “The government is avoiding the Question Hour because it is afraid of accountability. It does not want the people of Delhi to know how this scam took place.”