Bhopal(PTI): BJP General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao on Monday triggered a huge row with his statement that people belonging to Brahmin and Baniya communities are in his "pockets".
Rao, in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, came under attack from the Congress which sought an apology from the BJP leader, who later claimed the opposition party has "distorted" his statement.
Addressing a press conference here at the BJP's state headquarters, Rao said the party and its governments are going to have special focus on scheduled tribes and scheduled castes not as vote-banks but to address their concern like backwardness, employment and education.
After this, journalists asked Rao that perception about the BJP has been that it is a political party of Brahmins-Baniyas and he was talking about special focus on SCs/STs at a time when the saffron outfit's slogan is sabka saath, sabka vikas (with all, for everyone's development).
In reply, the BJP leader, while pointing towards his kurta's pockets, said, Brahmins and Baniyas are in my pockets . You (media people) termed us a Brahmin and Baniya party when most workers and vote bank were from these sections. Rao said the BJP is working towards gaining trust of all sections of the society.
When the number of people belonging to certain sections was higher, people used to say the party belongs to them. We are working to add more people from the SC/ST sections in our party after finding their lower representation. We are reaching out to all and making the BJP a party for every section, he said.
Rao said the BJP is not leaving out any section, including Brahmins and Baniyas, from its representation, but only including those who were left out to become a national party in true sense.
After a 6-second video of Rao's controversial remark surfaced on social media and was shared by several leaders of opposition, state Congress president Kamal Nath lashed out at the BJP.
In a statement here, the former CM said the BJP gave the slogan sabka saath sabka vikas and his party's general secretary is saying the Brahmins and Baniyas are in his pockets.
This is an insult of these sections as the BJP is claiming its right over them. What kind of respect is given to these classes whose leaders have played an important role in building the BJP? BJP leaders have become arrogant due to power, he said.
Nath said the BJP should seek an apology from these communities. A party which talk about sabka saath, sabka vikas is now focussing on certain sections for power, he said.
Later, in a video statement, Rao said the Congress has a habit of "distorting" facts and statements.
We don't discriminate among sections of the society. All Indians should be part of development. The Congress betrayed and divided all sections of the society. If STs are backward, the only reason is that the Congress has done injustice to them, the BJP leader said.
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New Delhi: A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Delhi's healthcare infrastructure has exposed alarming mismanagement, negligence, and a lack of accountability over the last six years. Expected to be tabled in the Delhi Assembly on Friday, the report outlines critical deficiencies across the city's healthcare system, including severe shortages of medical equipment, healthcare workers, and essential services, as well as poor infrastructure in mohalla clinics.
The report, as cited by India Today, revealed worrisome gaps in critical medical services, with 14 out of 27 hospitals in Delhi lacking ICU facilities, 16 hospitals without blood banks, and 8 hospitals missing oxygen supply. Additionally, 15 hospitals do not have a mortuary, and 12 hospitals are operating without ambulance services.
The report also highlights the dire conditions in mohalla clinics, many of which are without basic facilities such as toilets, power backup, and check-up tables. Similar deficiencies were observed in AYUSH dispensaries, further adding to concerns about the city's healthcare infrastructure.
Staff shortages in Delhi hospitals are equally concerning. The report unveiled a 21 percent shortage of nurses, a 38 percent shortage of paramedics, and a staggering 50-96 percent shortage of doctors and nurses in some hospitals.
These shortages are contributing to long wait times for essential treatments. At Lok Nayak Hospital, patients face a 2-3 month wait for general surgeries and 6-8 months for burn and plastic surgeries. Meanwhile, CNBC Hospital has a 12-month waiting period for pediatric surgeries.
Other major concerns include underutilisation of available resources. The report mentioned that operation theatres, ICU beds, and private rooms at Rajiv Gandhi and Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospitals remain unused, while trauma centers suffer from a lack of specialist doctors for emergency care.
The report also flags the underutilisation of funds allocated for COVID-19 response. Of the Rs 787.91 crore allocated for pandemic management, only Rs 582.84 crore was spent. Furthermore, Rs 30.52 crore earmarked for healthcare workers remained unspent, and Rs 83.14 crore designated for essential drugs and PPE kits went unused.