Delhi Health Department Flags AAP's Sanjeevani Yojana As Non-Existent, Arvind Kejriwal Says, 'Plan To Arrest Atishi'

In a dramatic turn amid the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) campaign for the upcoming Delhi assembly polls, the Health and Family Welfare Department of Delhi has discredited the ruling party’s Sanjeevani Yojana, a scheme purportedly offering free treatment to residents over 60 years old.

In a public notice, the department clarified that "any such supposed Sanjeevani scheme" does not exist. It also stated that it had not authorised any entity to collect personal data from senior citizens or issue any health cards.

The notice further warned citizens against engaging with individuals or political parties promoting the scheme, stating, “Any individual or political party collecting such forms under the name of this scheme is fraudulent and without any authority.”

It advised people not to share personal details or sign documents related to the scheme, adding, “The department will not be responsible for any liabilities or frauds arising out of such unscrupulous activities.”

Reacting to the notice, Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP-led central government of obstructing AAP’s initiatives. “The Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana have rattled them. Within the next few days, they plan to arrest Atishi ji in a fake case. Before that, senior AAP leaders would be raided,” he said in a post on X.

This development highlights the ongoing power tussle between Delhi’s elected government and the Centre. While the Supreme Court ruled last year that the Delhi government controls services in the capital, the Centre introduced an ordinance and later an Act to establish the National Capital Civil Services Authority.

This body, comprising the Chief Minister, Delhi Chief Secretary, and Principal Home Secretary, oversees transfers, postings, and disciplinary matters.

The Chief Secretary and Principal Home Secretary, being central government appointees, can outvote the Chief Minister, limiting AAP’s administrative control. This structural challenge has been a persistent issue during AAP’s decade-long governance in Delhi.