On the 4th of August, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao visited a Mohalla clinic in Panchsheel Park in Delhi. He was accompanied by Delhi’s Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj. The visit was presented as praise of the Mohalla clinics by the media personnel. This was also echoed by Delhi’s Health Minister Bhardwaj and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Karnataka health minister visits Delhi mohalla clinics. We welcome him and his team. We all have to learn from each other. Delhi will also learn from the good work done by Karnataka govt. https://t.co/340dLAALnc
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 4, 2023
However, within hours of his visit, Congress Minister Rao gave his verdict and termed the clinics “overhyped”. He even went one step ahead and called his experience “disappointing” and claimed that Karnataka’s Namma clinic and many other southern states have better health facilities than AAP’s Mohalla clinic.
Visited a Mohalla Clinic in Delhi with hardly any people there.
— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) August 4, 2023
Our Clinics in Karnataka have more facilities including a laboratory to do immediate tests for patients.
I guess it is overhyped and I came back feeling disappointed. pic.twitter.com/z9VywnmB3z
Apparently, Rao’s visit to learn the best practices in the health sphere from its alliance partner, AAP, has now ironically started to take a tol on the health of the newly stitched ideologically amorphous I.N.D.I.A. bloc.
Rather than passing pleasantries, the Congress Minister’s open display of “disappointment” and criticism of their alliance partner’s flagship programme, Mohalla Clinic, initiated a heated exchange, allegations, and counter-allegations against each other.
Congress’ Delhi Unit launches an attack against AAP
Now, the exchange of words over the health department has escalated further with Congress’ Delhi Unit launching a full frontal attack on the Aam Aadmi Party.
On the 5th of August, Delhi Congress’ Senior leader Sandeep Dikshit took to X (formerly Twitter) to accuse AAP, an alliance partner in I.N.D.I.A., of indulging in rampant corruption and giving misgovernance to the state in every aspect. He also expressed his desire that it would have been great if the Congress party’s senior Karnataka Minister had visited them as well. He added that in that case, he would have exposed the real truth of AAP which Rao could have conveyed to those Congress members who are all-praise for Arvind Kejriwal.
Son of former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, Sandeep Dikshit wrote, “Wish you (Dinesh Gundu Rao) would have met us also. Wud have shown the real truth of Arvind Kejriwal’s edu, health, finance, environment, water, roads, buses, infra, and rampant corruption. Perhaps you could have conveyed this to his new drum beaters in INC.”
Wish you'd met us also @dineshgrao – wud have shown real truth of @ArvindKejriwal edu, health, finance, environment, water, roads, buses, infra, rampant corruption …….
— Sandeep Dikshit (@_SandeepDikshit) August 5, 2023
Perhaps you could have conveyed this to his new drum beaters in @INCIndia https://t.co/90EMixgrHz
AAP accuses Congress Minister of spreading falsehoods following a mysterious phone call
Earlier, the AAP had hit back at Congress Minister Rao for his alleged U-turn on the Mohalla clinic. They alleged that Rao had received a phone call after which he stormed out of the clinic and changed his stance afterwards. Claiming that only Rao knows why he changed his stance.
In a statement, AAP said, “Dinesh Gundu Rao received a phone call. Following the call, he mentioned an important meeting and left the location. A while later, he tweeted criticising the Mohalla clinic. However, only Dinesh Rao can clarify why his statement changed from praising the Mohalla clinic to criticising it after the phone call.”
Additionally, AAP targeted Congress for comparing Mohalla clinics with Karnataka’s Namma clinic and called the comparison “unjust”. Kejriwal-led AAP alleged that the Congress’ Namma Clinic, in reality, is just a name and it provides only primary treatment for some illnesses like fever. It further added that even this Namma clinic facility was initiated by the BJP government.
With Congress’ Delhi unit jumping into the fray, the matter seems to be far from over and what seemed to be a PR of the Mohalla clinic is fast turning into a catalysing reason for fissures in the just stitched I.N.D.I.A. alliance.
