Protests, Legal Complaint Over Kejriwal’s ‘Bihar Patients’ Remark

Manoj Tiwari has accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of showing hatred for people from Bihar.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s remarks of “people from Bihar availing free treatment in Delhi hospitals” has created a political storm with the BJP tagging him as an ‘anti-outsider.’

While protestors, led by Union Minister Vijay Goel took to streets against Kejriwal’s comments, accused him of showing hatred for people from Bihar, the Purvanchal areas and other states.

Praising the Delhi government’s health facilities, Kejriwal had said on Sunday that despite the massive expansion of public healthcare infrastructure in the capital, some hospitals still see some overcrowding.

“This is because people from across the country are coming to Delhi now to access our hospitals. Today, someone from Bihar can take a Rs 500 ticket to the capital, get free treatment in our hospitals and return happily. It is a matter of great pride and happiness for us that the people of the entire country are confident in Delhi Government hospitals,” the Chief Minister had said.

Targeting People of UP, Bihar: Tiwari

Reacting to Kejriwal’s comments, Delhi BJP chief Tiwari on Monday said Kejriwal has been targeting the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

“This statement is shameful. This is an example of Kejriwal's hate and dislike for people from other states and particularly Purvanchalis. His real face is coming out. This is even sadder as the statement was being made at a time when Bihar is battling with an extreme flood situation,” Tiwari said, according to IANS.

He said the hospitals and doctors are not having any issues with the outstation patients, and “it is only Kejriwal who is having issues,” Tiwari said.

He asked “why does it pain Kejriwal” if a patient from Bihar or any other state gets treatment in Delhi .

“Now, he (Kejriwal) is making it personal as he has been defeated in several elections,” Tiwari said.

“Since I have become the chief of Delhi BJP, Kejriwal has abused me, my father and also my profession. If he is having personal enmity with me, I don't care. I have seen several negative people like him. But humiliating people from Bihar, UP or any other state will be a big reason for Kejriwal's exit from city,” he added.

Tiwari noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the facility of free medical treatment worth Rs 5 lakh to people through the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

“This scheme has not been implemented by Kejriwal in Delhi, so what is his problem?" Tiwari asked.

According to Tiwari, “Delhi is not disabled, you (Kejriwal) are not capable. Delhi is mini-India and is capable of giving and serving all. The city will give an answer to Kejriwal in the elections. Kejriwal is not getting the support of people for the upcoming Assembly elections and so he is making all these statements."

He also recalled that last week Kejriwal had said that Tiwari would be the first one to leave Delhi if the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise is implemented in the national capital.

Tiwari has been demanding a NRC for Delhi to filter out the “illegal foreign migrants” living in the city.

“The CM has an intention to evict the people from other states. He is a curse for Delhi. We are all shocked and feel bad for his statement,” he added.

‘AAP Govt Never Stopped Anyone from Getting Treatment’: Kejriwal Clarifies

The AAP government has never stopped anyone from getting education and medical treatment in Delhi, Kejriwal said on Tuesday.

Responding to a question at a press conference on Tuesday, Kejriwal said the “AAP dispensation is happy to provide quality education to any child and good treatment to any person from any part of the country”.

“We have never stopped anyone from getting medical treatment and education in Delhi. People from far-reaching areas outside Delhi come here for treatment. We have come in politics with the thought of social service” he told reporters.

Kejriwal said that like Delhi, there should also be revolution in other states which should open mohalla clinics, poly clinics and good school.

BJP Takes to Streets Against Kejriwal’s Remarks

Workers of the Delhi BJP on Tuesday took to the streets to protest against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's remark.

The protestors, including Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel, gathered near the ITO carrying placards and raised slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Kejriwal.

They tried to move towards Delhi Secretariat but were stopped by the police.

“Police did not allow us to move ahead. Kejriwal's remark hurts the feelings of Purvanchali people. He himself came to Delhi from Ghaziabad and Haryana. If he will say things like this then we will have to take to the streets. Our children also go to other states ,” said Goel.

Complaint Against Kejriwal in Bihar Court

A complaint was filed in a Bihar court on Tuesday against Kejriwal for the remark.

Advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha filed his petition before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Surya Kant Tiwari who referred the matter to Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (East) Shailendra Kumar while fixing 23 October as the next date of hearing.

In his petition, Ojha has alleged that he “felt hurt as a Bihari” upon learning about Kejriwal’s remark that people from the state visited the city “purchasing a Rs 500 ticket” and going back after “availing of medical treatment that would have cost them Rs five lakh”.

The petitioner has sought directions to the police that an FIR be lodged against Kejriwal who heads the Aam Aadmi Party under Sections 504 and 506 which pertain to provocation with intent to cause breach of peace and criminal intimidation respectively.