New Delhi, July 6: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday staged a protest outside Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital over the alleged ₹650 crore Delhi Health Department scam, accusing the BJP-led Delhi government of massive irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment and supplies.
The protest was led by AAP Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj, who alleged that public funds were misused through inflated purchases and questioned the role of senior government officials in the alleged scam.
Addressing party workers and the media, Bharadwaj claimed that an X-ray machine worth around ₹10 lakh was allegedly purchased for ₹33 lakh, ORS packets costing about ₹2.50 each were allegedly procured for ₹15, and bed sheets valued at around ₹150 were allegedly purchased for ₹450.
He questioned attempts to attribute the entire case to Dr. Vatsala Agarwal, asking whether such decisions could have been taken by a single official.
Bharadwaj alleged that the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi Government appointed Dr. Vatsala Agarwal as Director General of Health Services (DGHS), promoted her over several senior officers, and retained her despite a vigilance inquiry. He further claimed that the government enacted a new law transferring procurement powers from hospitals to the DGHS and the Central Procurement Agency (CPA).
According to the AAP leader, these decisions centralized procurement authority and formed the basis of the alleged irregularities.
Questions over accused’s escape
Bharadwaj also alleged that Rajiv Rangila, whom he described as the alleged mastermind of the scam, was not arrested despite repeated demands by the AAP.
He claimed that the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) failed to arrest him for nearly a month and alleged that the accused has since fled to Germany.
“The mastermind did not simply abscond; he was allowed to escape,” Bharadwaj alleged, adding that a complete investigation would now become difficult because, according to him, the matter involves influential political figures.
Claims regarding ACB FIR
The AAP leader further alleged that the Chief Minister was misleading the public regarding the investigation.
Referring to the ACB FIR, Bharadwaj claimed that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s name does not appear in the FIR and asserted that the complaint was registered on the basis of information from a “secret source.”
He questioned the circumstances under which the case was registered and demanded a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the alleged scam.
Investigation continues
The allegations were made by the Aam Aadmi Party during its protest. The Delhi Government has made public statements regarding the investigation in recent days, while the matter remains under investigation by the concerned agencies.
