BJP, Cong hold AAP govt responsible for shelter home deaths

Opposition BJP and Congress today held the AAP government responsible for the reported deaths of 11 mentally retarded inmates at a state-run shelter, terming the incident as "shameful".

While Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken questioned why the Social Welfare department, that runs the Asha Kiran Home, was functioning without a separate minister, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari asked the government to take "responsibility" for the incident.

"After Sandeep Kumar was removed as Social Welfare minister (following his arrest in an alleged rape case), Deputy CM Manish Sisodia handled the charge and there is no full time minister of such an important department," Maken said.
 

Tiwari, who visited Asha Kiran, said, "The matter of deaths of 11 inmates at Asha Kiran becomes all the more shameful as the Kejriwal government has repeatedly claimed to be providing best health services in the country."

"It should take responsibility for this sad incident and concentrate on public welfare work instead of spending money on misleading publicity," he said.

Maken said it was not only bureaucrats but the Kejriwal government which was responsible for the poor condition of the Asha Kiran Home.

"If anyone who is responsible for the present mess, its not only the bureaucrats, it is the Chief Minister and his Council of ministers. So why is he now (Kejriwal) shifting blame on others," he said.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed the Chief Secretary to intervene immediately and file a report within week.

Kejriwal also expressed his displeasure against the Secretary of the Social Welfare Department that runs the shelter, and sought to know the reason behind her silence on the deaths, that reportedly took place over the last two months.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also visited the shelter home run by the Social Welfare department, after reports of death of 11 inmates in past two months.

BJP workers, led by ex-MLA Kulwant Rana, blocked the car of Sisodia who was returning back after visit of the home situated in Rohini Sector I.

Asha Kiran had been in the news in the past too, where 51 deaths were reported in 2014. According to the 2015 CAG report, the home is overcrowded with over 900 inmates living here against a capacity of 350.