Delhi BJP launches 'missed call campaign'

The Delhi BJP launched a campaign to push for the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme in the national capital, with a new missed call number and a signature campaign in various constituencies.

The move comes as the Delhi BJP continues to pressure the Arvind Kejriwal-led government to extend the world’s largest health insurance scheme to residents of Delhi.

At a press conference on Thursday, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, along with MPs Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Yogendra Chandolia, and Bansuri Swaraj, announced the launch of a missed call number, 7820078200, for Delhi residents to register their support for the scheme.

"We want every resident of Delhi to voice his/her support for the Ayushman Bharat Scheme," Sachdeva said. "While this scheme is operational across India, the Kejriwal government continues to deprive Delhi’s residents of its benefits due to political differences. This missed call number will serve as a platform for people to show their backing for its implementation."

The BJP MPs also initiated signature campaigns in their respective constituencies. Ramvir Singh Bidhuri began the campaign in Kalkaji, covering areas like Jawahar Camp, Navjeevan Camp and Bhoomihin Camp, while Bansuri Swaraj launched it in Bhawar Singh Camp in Vasant Vihar. Kamaljeet Sehrawat took the campaign to Rajouri Garden and Praveen Khandelwal started it in Pitampura.

Bidhuri said residents of Kalkaji expressed their anger and frustration at the Kejriwal government’s refusal to implement the scheme. "Despite agreeing in the Assembly to implement Ayushman Bharat, the Delhi Government has backtracked. In my constituency, the people were vocal about their dissatisfaction, and they warned that if the scheme is not implemented before the Assembly elections, CM Atishi, who is also the MLA of Kalkaji, will face backlash," Bidhuri said.

Sachdeva also questioned why the Kejriwal government continued to oppose the scheme. "The Central Government is trying to help the people of Delhi, but the Kejriwal government is playing politics at the cost of public welfare. Even the Delhi High Court supports the extension of this scheme to Delhi residents," he stated.

Speaking on the issue, Bansuri Swaraj expressed her disappointment over the Kejriwal government’s stance. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Ayushman Bharat as a gift to the nation, but the Delhi Government has engaged in petty politics, prioritising its interests over the public’s welfare. The court itself was shocked when we presented the case," she said, adding that the then Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had announced that over Rs 25,000 crore was ready to be allocated to Delhi under the scheme, but the Delhi Government still failed to implement it.

Yogendra Chandolia recalled how PM Modi promised a health insurance scheme for the country when he came to power in 2014. "Unfortunately, Delhi has been excluded from the scheme due to the inaction of the Delhi Government. If Ayushman Bharat had been implemented, residents of Delhi wouldn't have to struggle for medical treatment," he said, sharing his personal experience of helping critically ill patients from his constituency through the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.