More AIIMS announced in 4 years than in past 70 years: Modi
New Delhi, June 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed his government has proposed and approved more numbers of All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the past four years than there had been in the last 70 years.
Modi was speaking at the AIIMS here. He inaugurated a tunnel connecting the main building to its trauma facility. The one-km long motorable tunnel will facilitate the transfer of the patients and their relatives, doctors, instruments and medicine between AIIMS, Ansari Nagar and Trauma Centre.
"We want to provide the best healthcare to our people at the lowest possible cost. We have proposed and approved more numbers of AIIMS than it was done in the past 70 years," Modi said.
He also laid the foundation stone of the National Centre for Ageing at AIIMS which will be built in a year and a half at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore.
The Centre with 200-bed capacity will provide the older population with multi-speciality healthcare. He also inaugurated a 300-bed Powergrid Vishram Sadan at AIIMS.
At Safdarjung Hospital, Modi inaugurated a 555-bed super-speciality block and a 500-bed emergency block.
"Over Rs 1,300 crore was spend on the Safdarjung Hospital to make it technologically advance," he said.
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Surjewala slams Pratap Simha’s ‘vile’ remarks on CM Siddaramaiah, demands apology from BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP over alleged disparaging remarks made by former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during an assembly bypoll campaign in Bagalkote.
Simha made the remarks while campaigning for BJP candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath, triggering a political row ahead of the by-elections scheduled for April 9.
Congress has fielded Umesh Meti, son of former MLA late M Y Meti, whose death necessitated the bye-election.
"Pratap Simha's vile remarks about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bagalkot have exposed the BJP's despicable politics once again," Surjewala said in a social media post.
Alleging a larger political design, he added, "It is increasingly evident that Pratap Simha’s outburst is driven by desperation," and accused the BJP of using such remarks to target backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and minorities.
The Rajya Sabha member further claimed that the incident reflects a pattern within the party. "This is not one man's madness—it is the BJP’s political culture," he said, adding that the remarks were aimed at "denigrating leaders from marginalised communities".
Referring to past incidents, Surjewala said, "CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar have received death threats in the past, including one from BJP leaders who warned that their bodies would be stuffed into a refrigerator."
The Congress leader also criticised the BJP’s bypoll campaign strategy, alleging "internal contradictions".
He pointed to the party’s use of expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in campaigning despite earlier disciplinary action against him, accusing the BJP of resorting to "abuses and indignities" against opposition leaders.
Surjewala demanded immediate action from the BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, state president B Y Vijayendra, and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka.
He said they must tender a public apology to Kannadigas, particularly to OBCs, SCs, and minorities, over the remarks, and urged the party to expel Simha if it does not repudiate his statements.
Surjewala also called for legal action, demanding that an FIR be registered against Simha and that strict measures be taken.
Warning of "political consequences", he said the electorate in the bypoll-bound constituencies would respond decisively if the BJP failed to apologise, asserting that voters would "teach the BJP a befitting lesson" in the elections.
There has been no immediate reaction from the saffron party yet.
