More than 40 MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party camped out at Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s house, the Raj Bhawan, on Wednesday for more than four hours, refusing to leave till he approved certain files, including one to construct “mohalla clinics”.
The lieutenant governor is the administrative head of Delhi and has to clear all key policy decisions made by the government.
The legislators tweeted photographs through the evening, alleging that Baijal had met them only for a brief period. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the matter should not be politicised as it involves the health of more than two crore Delhiites.
He said on Twitter that the lieutenant governor “must clear the files immediately”. “The LG should call all officers and sort it out,” he added. “I am prepared to come with my ministers to Raj Niwas, if the LG wants.”
Baijal’s office said he had spoken to Kejriwal, but the chief minister “did not come to the Raj Bhawan and skipped a weekly meeting”, NDTV reported. AAP claimed the lieutenant governor’s office was misrepresenting facts, and that Kejriwal had offered to meet Baijal on Wednesday to sort the matter out.
In 2016, the Delhi government had announced that it will set up a thousand mohalla clinics to offer primary healthcare services, such as basic consultations and medicines. Only about a hundred have been set up since. AAP claimed that the file to construct more such clinics had been sent to Baijal in May but has not been cleared yet.
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