BJP hits out at Kejriwal government over Covid-19 crisis

New Delhi: The BJP on Monday slammed Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal government over the COVID-19 crisis, claiming the chief minister has been busy spending crores on publicity and "misleading" people while washing his hands of responsibility and leaving everything to the Centre.

Addressing a virtual press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra cited a RTI reply to say that the Kejriwal government has spent around Rs 805 crore on advertisements since 2015 but not opened a single new hospital in the city. He has been making daily appearances on the TV, "misleading" people and "lying", Patra said, attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader.

"You keep advertising, claiming there will not be any lockdown, no shortage of oxygen and that people will be delivered oxygen at home. When you saw that you cannot control the situation, then you pointed fingers at the Centre and washed your hands of your responsibility," he said.

Patra noted that Kejriwal had claimed on April 26 that his government will order 1.34 crore vaccines, which is worth nearly Rs 1,400 crore.

"Today, he's saying he has nothing. Only 8.93 per cent people over 45 years have got their second dose in Delhi. Only 48.03 per cent people over 60 years have received their first dose. Only 17 per cent people over 60 years have received second dose," he said.

Instead of pushing the vaccination programme in time, the Delhi government was busy advertising and is now doing politics over the availability of oxygen, Patra alleged. Citing an interview of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal in which he rejected suggestions that the Centre is to blame for oxygen crisis and said states are primarily responsible for making arrangement for the life-saving gas, the BJP spokesperson said Kejriwal made little efforts to augment its availability in the national capital.

Despite funding from the PM Cares Fund for setting up oxygen plants, the Delhi government failed to start any because it could not provide any site, he alleged. Patra also hit out at the AAP over an alleged rape at Tikri border, where farmers' protest has been continuing, alleging that the name of one of its workers has cropped up, and he has been missing.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court Monday asked the Delhi government whether AAP MLA Imran Hussain was supplied any oxygen through refillers in the national capital who were given the gas for individuals in home care, hospitals and ambulances.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli also asked the MLA to show documents that he procured the oxygen from Faridabad, Haryana, as claimed by him and not from the gas allocated for Delhi.

The directions came after Hussain, represented by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, told the court that he procured the gas from outside Delhi, while the cylinders were rented from the national capital and he has the receipts to prove it. However, as the receipts were not on record, the court asked the MLA to show the documents in support of his claims and listed the matter for hearing on May 13