Saurabh Bhardwaj accuses BJP of betraying Delhi's bus marshals

New Delhi: Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of betraying 10,000 former bus marshals, claiming that its conspiracy to remove them has now come to light.

"The BJP has deceived these 10,000 poor people. They had promised to restore their jobs and, along with seven MLAs, had vowed to march to the Lt Governor's house. However, the BJP made a U-turn, and I believe it was part of their conspiracy to have these bus marshals removed in the first place. That’s why they don't want them reinstated," the minister told IANS.

On Thursday, former bus marshals held a protest near the residence of the Lt Governor, demanding the restoration of their jobs. The protest was attended by Delhi Cabinet Ministers Bhardwaj, Imran Hussain, and Mukesh Ahlawat, along with other AAP MLAs. The police detained several protesters, including Bhardwaj and other AAP leaders, stating that the protest lacked official permission.

Bhardwaj also targeted BJP leader Vijender Gupta, accusing him of lying about his stance on the bus marshal issue. "Vijender Gupta is a liar. I say this with responsibility – the truth will come out through the videos available on the Delhi Assembly website. He passed the proposal unanimously, and now he's saying he didn’t agree back then," he said.

"He is essentially calling the entire Delhi Assembly and the Speaker liars, which is a contempt of the House. He could face punishment for this. Previously, he had to apologise to the entire Assembly for contempt," he added.

Commenting on the notice issued by the Supreme Court to the LG regarding the MCD Standing Committee elections, Bhardwaj criticised the LG’s approach. "The LG’s behaviour often leads him to face reprimands in court. After 15 years of BJP rule, Delhi gave a chance to the AAP to lead the MCD. If the BJP tries to form a government in the MCD through backdoor tactics, they won’t be able to fool the court. The misuse of Section 487 has been exposed by the court, and the question remains: Why was the LG in such a rush to conduct these elections overnight?" he said.

Responding to the BJP's accusation that AAP national convener and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal vacated one government building only to move into another, Bhardwaj defended him. "The BJP is always troubled. He did not resign or vacate under any pressure; he did it of his own accord. He left all the associated benefits of being CM. If the BJP has the courage, let one of their leaders do the same and relinquish all privileges."

Addressing the recent drug case in Delhi, he demanded an investigation into how large quantities of drugs were reaching the capital. He said, "Drugs in such large quantities reaching Delhi raises questions about which borders they passed through and which officers and governments were responsible for those borders. This shows that many individuals within the system are involved in allowing drugs to reach Delhi."