Alleged ₹650 crore health fraud fuels fresh protests in Delhi legislature

A wave of dissent swept through the Delhi Assembly on Thursday as AAP legislators rallied against what they describe as a ₹650 crore health‑sector scam. The protest, spearheaded by chief whip Sanjay Jha, featured the opposition wearing O.R.S. packet necklaces and calling for the Health Minister’s ouster.

The AAP cadre accused the BJP‑led administration of massively overpaying for essential medical gear, alleging that portable X‑ray machines were bought at triple the market price, medicines at four times the cost, and oral rehydration salts at five times the usual rate. They warned that inflated procurement has resulted in drug shortages across public hospitals, forcing patients to struggle for basic treatment.

State leader Saurabh Bhardwaj cited an Anti‑Corruption Bureau FIR that, despite exposing the alleged fraud, permitted the principal suspect to leave the country. He suggested that the government’s inaction hinted at complicity and urged swift legal action.

Additional grievances were raised concerning the Delhi Lakshmi scheme, which promised ₹2,500 cash assistance to women but now imposes such stringent eligibility requirements that many are left out. The opposition demanded that the allegations be investigated by both the CBI and ACB and called for a formal discussion within the assembly, which they say has been denied.