Political blame game begins over chikungunya deaths in Delhi

New Delhi, Sept 13: A political blamegame began in the tiol capital on Tuesday as four deaths were reported due to chikungunya, with the ruling AAP blaming the Lt Governor and the municipal bodies for the rising mosquito-borne mece while the BJP asked for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s resigtion.

Kejriwal, who is in Bengaluru, said on Tuesday that he has been left with no power even to “buy a pen” and that people should question the “Prime Minister and Lt Governor” (over the matter).

With three Delhi government ministers, including the Chief Minister and his deputy, outside Delhi, the BJP stepped up its attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government as more deaths due to vector-borne diseases were reported.

Bharatiya Jata Party (BJP) asked Kejriwal to quit if he is uble to act.

“Sir if you don’t have the capacity to buy a pen, as you are suggesting, why don’t you resign? If you say that you have no role as the Chief Minister of Delhi, how come the Chief Minister and other ministers’ offices spent Rs one crore on scks and Rs 526 crore on ads,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters.

Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was in Goa and returned Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, said the situation in Delhi government hospitals is “much better” than in the hospitals run by the Centre and civic bodies.

“We’re not denying anyone a bed and have made all facilities available to deal with such cases. We have opened 262 fever clinics in Delhi. Please avoid self medication and do not panic,” Jain said in a press conference here.

He said that Delhi government officers were not being allowed to work and were being transfered.

“In such a situation why is the Delhi government being blamed? Ask the LG who himself went to the US. Two MCD Mayors are out of Delhi, ask them why? Their only work is to ensure cleanliness,” Jain asserted.

He accused the BJP-controlled civic bodies of not taking preventive steps to control the spread of vector-borne disease. “The three municipal corporations are not performing their duties to clean the city and do fogging to prevent chikungunya and dengue spread,” the AAP leader said. (IANS)