Delhi BJP workers on Tuesday took to the streets to protest against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's remark that the influx of patients from other states was the reason behind long queues at government hospitals in the city.
The protesters 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 the Delhi Secretariat but were stopped by the police. The Chief Minister's office is also located at the Delhi Secretariat.
"Kejriwal's remark hurts the feelings of Purvanchali people. He himself came to Delhi from Ghaziabad and Haryana. If he says such things then we will have to take to the streets. Our children also go to other states," said Goel.
Kejriwal while laying the foundation for a trauma centre on Sunday highlighted free treatment and medicines provided by his government and observed that long queues outside government hospitals were due to patients from other states.
"Now, it so happens that a person from Bihar buys a (travel) ticket of Rs 500, reaches Delhi, gets free of cost operation worth Rs 5 lakh and returns. It gives joy that they are people of the country and they should get the treatment and be happy. But, Delhi has its capacity, how can it treat everyone in the country," Kejriwal had said.
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Goel said the chief minister should issue a list of those Poorvachalis(Bhojpuri speaking people from Bihar and Eastern UP) who have availed treatment of Rs 5 lakh in the Delhi government-run hospitals.
Kejriwal is expressing his "hatred" against the people from other states because he is losing the trust and acceptance among the people from other states settled in Delhi, charged Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta.
Delhi BJP general secretary Kuljeet Chahal hit out at the chief minister alleging that he was creating "controversy" over Poorvanchalis and people from other states to "cover failures" of his government.
Several senior Delhi BJP leaders including RP Singh, vice presidents Yogita Singh and Monika Pant, Poorvanchal Morcha president Manish Singh, Yuva Morcha president Sunil Yadav, media co-head Neelkant Bakshi, party MLAs and other office bearers and workers took part in the protest.