AAP, Bengal govt are 'Janata virodhi': BJP's Gautam over Ayushman Bharat row 

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) BJP National General Secretary, Dushyant Gautam on Wednesday slammed the Delhi and West Bengal governments for not adopting the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and said that the AAP and West Bengal governments were 'Janata Virodhi.' 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Delhi and West Bengal governments for not implementing the AB-PMJAY out of "political interests" and said he was pained that the elderly from these two states cannot avail of free treatment under the expanded programme.

Talking to IANS, Dushyant Gautam said, "It is quite unfortunate. This scheme has provided benefits to more than 50 crore people. The Prime Minister on Tuesday extended his government's flagship health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above. But, the Delhi and West Bengal governments are not implementing it. They are doing injustice to the people. I think these governments are 'Janata Virodhi' and they should resign. However, the people of the national Capital will surely give them answers in the polls."

However, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated on Tuesday that Delhi did not need the scheme since its own schemes cover everyone.

Gautam further hit out at the AAP for failing to deliver whatever they promised to Delhiites and said that the people of the national Capital would give them a fitting answer in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

"They are only promising Delhiites that they will fulfil all the demands of the people. AAP leaders promised to clean the Yamuna River and reduce air pollution but they failed to do so," he stated.

"Despite doing shoddy work, they do press conferences and orchestrate drama. They will again do the drama of Odd-Even in the national Capital. They have written a script which they repeat every year. But, now the people of Delhi have understood and will give an appropriate answer by making them lose in the national Capital," he added.

The pollution levels in the Yamuna River have forced a water shortage in several parts of Delhi, with no respite likely for residents during Diwali.

A day ahead of the Diwali festival, a smog also shrouded Delhi-NCR's skies on Wednesday as air quality in parts of the national Capital and areas in the adjoining states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana remained in the ‘very poor’ category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of over 300 recorded at around 7 A.M, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).