Those guilty of graft must be prosecuted: Congress on CAG reports

Congress demands trial for corruption in AAP government's health services based on CAG report, highlighting Mohalla Clinics' shortcomings.

A day after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the city’s public health services under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was tabled in the Assembly, the Congress on Saturday demanded that the matter be brought to trial if the audit report reveals any evidence of corruption.

The report on the state of health was the second of the 14 CAG reports that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promised to table in the Assembly to unearth the “scams” perpetrated in various sectors under the Arvind Kejriwal-led government. The first report on the now-scrapped excise policy was tabled on February 25 and referred to the Public Accounts Committee for examination two days later.

Speaking on the issue, senior Congress leader and former MP Sandeep Dikshit said, “Now that they [the BJP] are in power in Delhi and the Centre, which has appointed the Lieutenant-Governor [V.K. Saxena] and is in charge of various probe agencies, they should take the matter to court and ensure the guilty are prosecuted.”

Commenting on the shortcomings pointed out by CAG in the functioning of Mohalla Clinics, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said the report had vindicated the party as the Congress had, in 2016, come out with a document detailing “the shoddy condition of Mohalla Clinics and AAP’s attempt to loot the exchequer in the name of providing free treatment”.

The Congress and AAP are INDIA bloc partners who fought the 2024 Lok Sabha election in an alliance in Delhi. When Mr. Kejriwal was arrested last year in connection with the liquor policy case, the Congress, along with several other Opposition parties, participated in a rally demanding his release at Ramlila Maidan. The grand old party fought the February 5 Delhi Assembly election alone but could not win any of the 70 seats.