The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the BJP-led Delhi government of attempting to privatise several state-run hospitals, alleging that the move is part of a broader plan to hand over public healthcare infrastructure—built on government land and developed with taxpayer money—to private corporations. AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj led the charge, describing the move as “a clear fraud against the people of Delhi,” and warning that it would endanger the right to free medical treatment for millions of residents who depend on public hospitals.
According to Bhardwaj, the BJP government’s alleged plan involves transferring operational control of newly constructed or soon-to-be-completed hospitals to private players under the pretext of efficiency and modernization. These hospitals were built with public funds and meant for free healthcare. Now, the BJP wants to give them away to private companies so that they can earn profits while the poor suffer. It’s nothing less than a betrayal,” he said during a press briefing.
Bhardwaj claimed that during the AAP administration, construction had begun on 24 new hospitals, with an ambitious goal to expand Delhi’s healthcare capacity by several thousand beds. He cited the 1,470-bed hospital in Shalimar Bagh as a prime example — a nearly completed facility that, he said, the BJP government has deliberately delayed inaugurating. “This hospital is ready to serve the public, but instead of opening it, the BJP is planning to privatise it,” he said, accusing the ruling party of obstructing AAP’s healthcare initiatives to pave the way for corporate control.
He also rejected the BJP’s defence that the facilities in question were merely POTA cabins or temporary pandemic structures built during the Covid-19 crisis. “That is a lie. These are full-fledged hospitals planned for long-term public use. The BJP is trying to mislead people by calling them temporary setups,” Bhardwaj asserted. He demanded that either the Chief Minister or the Health Minister of Delhi issue an official statement clarifying the government’s stance on the matter. “Spokespersons can make any claim, but only a formal clarification will prove whether there is a privatisation plan or not,” he said.
AAP reiterated that its government had never pursued any policy to privatise public healthcare institutions, insisting that its approach was always centred on strengthening government hospitals to ensure free and equitable access to quality medical care. The party accused the BJP of seeking to “commercialise” public health services, turning essential care into a profit-driven enterprise.
“The BJP wants to take away hospitals meant for the poor and hand them over to private operators. This is not reform; this is daylight robbery of public property,” Bhardwaj said, accusing the government of prioritising corporate interests over citizens’ welfare.
The BJP, however, dismissed AAP’s allegations as “political theatre,” maintaining that several hospital projects faced delays due to bureaucratic and logistical hurdles during the Covid-19 pandemic. BJP leaders argued that the AAP government itself had failed to complete hospital projects on time and accused it of using the issue to deflect blame for administrative inefficiencies.
Despite these claims, AAP has refused to relent, framing the issue as a battle over the future of public healthcare in Delhi. The party warned that privatisation would make treatment unaffordable for large sections of the population, undermining decades of investment in government hospitals.
As public outrage grows, opposition leaders and civil society groups have begun demanding greater transparency from the Delhi administration regarding hospital management and funding policies. AAP has vowed to continue protesting until the government provides a categorical assurance that no public hospital will be handed over to private entities.
The controversy marks a new flashpoint in Delhi’s political landscape, reflecting a deeper struggle over how public resources — especially in critical sectors like healthcare — should be managed, funded, and accessed.
