New Delhi:

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded Saurabh Bhardwaj from the Greater Kailash (GK) seat in the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 2025. Mr Bharadwaj, a three-time MLA, is the minister for health, urban development, water and industries in Delhi.

Five facts about Saurabh Bharadwaj:

1) Saurabh Bhardwaj was born and raised in Delhi. He is a computer science engineer and a law graduate from Osmania University. Mr Bhardwaj’s political journey began in 2013 when he was first elected to the Delhi Assembly from the Greater Kailash seat. He was entrusted with several crucial portfolios, including food & supply, transport and environment in what was a 49-day government led by Arvind Kejriwal.

2) In the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, Mr Bhardwaj defeated BJP’s Rakesh Kumar Gullaiya. He was not retained as a cabinet minister during Arvind Kejriwal’s first full five-year term as the Delhi Chief Minister.

3) The engineer-turned-politician remained a prominent face in AAP, representing the party as a spokesperson during television debates. In May 2017, on the floor of the Delhi Assembly, Saurabh Bhardwaj used an electronic voting machine (EVM) prototype to demonstrate they could be hacked using a “secret code”. The legislator showed how votes cast for AAP could purportedly be transferred to the BJP. While these claims stirred significant debate, they were ultimately refuted by the Election Commission. Mr Bhardwaj and his party called EVMs a “threat to democracy” and pushed for greater transparency in the electoral process.

4) In 2020, Mr Bhardwaj was re-elected from GK for the third time. He defeated BJP’s Shikha Roy by a margin of 16809 votes. On March 9, 2023, Mr Bhardwaj was sworn in as a Minister in the Delhi government after the resignation of Satyendar Jain over alleged corruption and money laundering cases. He has since been in charge of health, urban development, water and industries.

5) In October 2024, an FIR was filed against Saurabh Bhardwaj and three AAP MLAs following a row over the reinstatement of bus marshals. The complaint was made by Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta, accusing the AAP MLAs of misbehaviour. The incident occurred after BJP MLAs submitted a memorandum on the issue.

New Delhi:

In his report on the basement tragedy at Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar that left three IAS aspirants dead, Delhi government’s Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar has blamed the coaching centre for encroachment that blocked drains and accused minister Saurabh Bharadwaj of sitting on a key legislation to tackle waterlogging in the national capital.

This is the Chief Secretary’s response after Mr Bharadwaj, who holds multiple portfolios including flood control, sought an explanation about the bureaucrat’s claims of pending decisions.

The Chief Secretary has said that a meeting was convened after heavy rain last year led to waterlogging in the city to come up with a comprehensive strategy to prevent flooding, according to sources.

The meeting found that there was a need to consolidate drainage management in Delhi for 18 years and emphasised on the requirement for a Storm Water and Drainage Act with penal provisions for encroachment and dumping of waste into these drains. The meeting also called for a Master Drainage Plan for Delhi.

These findings, he has said, were submitted to the minister in August 2023 and remained with him for consideration till February this year. It was only after that gap of five months that the minister asked for a presentation, the senior official has said.

He has added that the Irrigation and Flood Control Department has not taken any decision yet on bringing a Storm Water and Drainage Act. On the Master Drainage Plan, the Chief Secretary has said that an IIT Delhi report on this was not accepted by Aam Aadmi Party government. It was then decided that three separate drainage plans would be prepared, but no substantive work has taken place so far.

The report says that the draft of the Storm Water Drainage Act is still pending with the minister and pointed out that such a legislation would impact the rainwater management in the national capital.

The storm water drainage system in Delhi, the Chief Secretary has said, cannot be controlled without a proper legislative framework and this situation leads to flooding in several areas whenever there is heavy rain.

What Led To Basement Tragedy

On the Rajinder Nagar incident, the Chief Secretary has pointed to the findings of the probe conducted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The construction of ramps in violation of norms has blocked the entry of drains through which rainwater can be drained out, the report says. Manholes and drains in the area have been covered by granite or marble or kota stones, and this has made cleaning of drains impossible.

So every time there is heavy rain, water accumulates on the road along which the coaching centres are located. This water, which should have been disposed off through drains, moves towards the parking area and the basements.

At Rau’s IAS Study Circle, where Saturday’s tragedy took place, the drainage system has been blocked completely and no safeguards to meet any eventuality are in the place, the report says.

The Blame Game Continues

This Chief Secretary’s report is the latest episode in the blame game in the aftermath of the basement tragedy. The deaths of Tanya Soni, Shreya Yadav and Nevin Dalwin have sparked massive protests by students who blame civic negligence for the tragedy. The Opposition BJP has targeted the ruling AAP, which also controls the MCD. AAP has hit back, alleging a big conspiracy and corruption in desilting work in the national capital. Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the work of removing silt from drains and sewers was not done properly due to the negligence of officers of PWD, MCD and Irrigation and Flood Control Department. He said that Delhi government can neither transfer these officers nor take any action against them and only Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena can do so.

AAP’s Rajinder Nagar MLA Durgesh Pathak has questioned why no work on Delhi’s drainage system was done in the past 15-20 years. “The BJP should have shame. We demand action against all officers, including the senior officers who are found responsible,” he told ANI.

New Delhi:

The political tussle between Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has escalated over concerns regarding jailed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s health. AAP leader Atishi alleged that Mr Kejriwal’s blood sugar levels had dangerously fallen below 50 mg/dL on multiple occasions while he remains in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

In a letter addressed to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, Lt Governor VK Saxena expressed concerns about Mr Kejriwal’s health, based on a report from the Superintendent of the prison. Mr Saxena alleged that Mr Kejriwal may be deliberately avoiding the prescribed medical diet and medications, including insulin, despite having Type II Diabetes Mellitus. The letter alleged several instances of “willful low-calorie intake” by the Chief Minister, despite being provided with sufficient home-cooked food.

The LG’s office cited discrepancies in the medical reports, indicating variations between glucometer test readings and continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) reading. The letter also mentioned a weight loss of 2 kg since Mr Kejriwal’s surrender on June 2 attributing it to insufficient calorie intake.

“The report also suggests loss of weight (now 61.5 kg which earlier was 63.5 Kg on the date of surrender – June 2, 2024). Prima facie, it appears to be due to less calorie intake,” the letter read.

AAP’s Response

The Aam Aadmi Party has categorically denied the LG’s allegations. “The Chief Minister’s sugar level has come below 50 more than 8 times. In such a situation, Chief Minister Kejriwal can go into a coma, and there is also a risk of brain stroke,” Atishi said. 

AAP leader Sanjay Singh also criticised the LG’s letter. In a fiery post on social media, Mr Singh said, “What kind of joke are you making, LG Sir? Would a man reduce his sugar levels at night? This is very dangerous. LG Sir, if you do not know about the disease, then you should not write such a letter. God forbid such a time ever comes to you.”

ये क्या मज़ाक़ कर रहें हैं एलजी साहब?
क्या कोई आदमी ख़ुद की रात में शुगर कम करेगा?
जो की बहुत ख़तरनाक है।
एलजी साहब बीमारी के बारे में पता नहीं तो आपको ऐसी लेटर नहीं लिखनी चाहिए।
ईश्वर ना करें कभी आप के साथ ऐसा समय आए। pic.twitter.com/2Y4OTECYtt

— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) July 20, 2024

Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj echoed similar sentiments. “I know that the Lieutenant Governor used to work in a cement manufacturing company. I don’t know if he specialises in diabetes,” he said.

The Delhi High Court recently stayed a trial court order granting bail to Mr Kejriwal in the excise policy money laundering case, following a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court has scheduled a hearing for August 7 to further deliberate on the matter.

Mr Kejriwal’s legal team has argued that the Supreme Court had granted interim bail, seeking time to file a rejoinder. The ED, however, has contended that the bail was granted based on irrelevant considerations, urging the court to cancel it.
 

New Delhi:

In the aftermath of a blaze at a neonatal hospital that killed six newborns, the Delhi government has issued directions to all private and state-run hospitals to complete a fire audit and submit a compliance report by June 8, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Monday.

Mr Bharadwaj said the owner of the hospital in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar area was also running another nursing home “illegally” at Paschimpuri and a case was registered against him.

He had called for a meeting to discuss the fire incident at the medical centre.

Initially, police had said seven newborns were killed in the blaze but after the autopsy, it was found that one of the babies had died hours before the fire broke out.

Mr Bharadwaj said it had been learnt that oxygen refilling was being carried out at the hospital, and added that it would be looked into whether the facility was doing it on its own or some other agency was involved.

He stressed that it is illegal for a hospital to have a refilling system since it can lead to fire.

“On April 24, we issued directions to all hospitals for fire preparedness. On May 8, we asked them to conduct a fire audit. Now, we have asked all private and Delhi government-run hospitals to complete a fire audit and submit a compliance report by June 8 to the health department,” he told reporters.

The hospitals have also been asked to conduct an audit of the electrical system.

“In summer, the power load increases, which can lead to short circuits. We have also asked hospitals to carry out an audit of their electrical system to ensure that it can withstand the load,” Bharadwaj added.

The minister said they have also asked all chief district medical officers (CDMOs) to conduct random inspections of nursing homes and hospitals in their districts.

Talking about the Vivek Vihar hospital, he said that the hospital was functioning “illegally” with 12 beds as against the five beds it had permission for.

“It has been alleged that oxygen refilling was carried out at the hospital in violation of the norms and that will be looked into. The hospital’s registration certificate was valid till March 31 and they had applied for renewal. It was issued a deficiency memo as some documents were missing,” he added.

Bharadwaj said that a surprise inspection was carried out at the medical facility and some deficiencies were found, following which a case was also registered.

“The owner was also running another nursing home illegally at Paschimpuri and a case was registered against him. Both the cases are in trial. One is ongoing at Tis Hazari Court and another at Karkardooma Court. We hope that verdict will come in both cases soon,” he said.

He stressed that strict action would be taken against those involved in “illegally” running extra beds at the hospital.

Bharadwaj also clarified that the Delhi Fire Service had no record of issuing any NOC to the Vivek Vihar hospital since the height of the building was nine metres and according to rules such buildings do not require a fire NOC.

“Now, we will include a checklist of systems that will be required while issuing a registration certificate. These will include automatic smoke detection systems, fire extinguishers and water sprinklers in case of a fire,” he added.

The minister also said two nurses and five neighbours rescued some babies without worrying about their lives.

“They did not worry about their safety. We will recommend their names for bravery awards,” he added.

The revenue department has been asked to expedite the process of compensation to the families of the babies killed and injured in the fire, Bharadwaj said.

The meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, where health department officials were present, also discussed the ongoing heatwave conditions.

The private neonatal hospital in Vivek Vihar where six newborns died and five were injured in the blaze was operating despite the expiry of its licence. It also did not have qualified doctors and no clearance from the fire department, police said on Sunday.

Police have arrested Dr Naveen Khichi, the hospital’s owner, and Dr Aaksh — who was on duty at the time of the fire that took place on Saturday night.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj shared an update on AAP MP Raghav Chadha’s absence from election campaigns and said he is in the UK for an eye surgery. 

“Raghav is in the UK to get treatment after he suffered a complication in his eyes. I was told that it was quite serious and if timely treatment was not given then there could’ve been a possibility of blindness,” Mr Bharadwaj said.

“I wish him a speedy recovery and as soon as he’s fine, he will come back to India and join the party’s campaign,” the minister added. 

VIDEO | “Raghav Chadha has undergone major eye surgery in the UK. It is said that his condition was serious and there was a possibility of blindness. As soon as he gets better, he will come back to India and join us in the election campaigning,” says Delhi Minister and AAP leader… pic.twitter.com/o3A0hJYrAt

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 30, 2024

Despite being physically away for treatment, the AAP MP has responded on social media to developments within the party from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest to Sunita Kejriwal stepping into active politics with her roadshow in support of AAP candidates contesting in Delhi. 

Mr Chadha reacted to allegations by the party that the Tihar jail authorities are denying Arvind Kejriwal insulin and other medicines for diabetes. 

“Arvind Kejriwal has been a diabetic patient for many years. Kejriwal is on 54 units of insulin every day. It is being said that the administration in the jail is not giving him insulin,” Mr Chadha said in a post from April 18 on X.

“This is extremely inhumane and against prison rules,” he added.

अरविंद केजरीवाल जी कई सालों से डायबिटीज के मरीज़ हैं। केजरीवाल जी हर दिन 54 यूनिट इंसुलिन पर हैं। बताया जा रहा है कि जेल में प्रशासन द्वारा उन्हें इन्सुलिन नहीं दी जा रही है।

ये बेहद अमानवीय और जेल के नियमों के ख़िलाफ़ है।

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) April 18, 2024

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in the Delhi Liquor Policy case in March. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case on March 21. His former Deputy, Manish Sisodia, is jailed in the same case.

Meanwhile, AAP has announced that Mrs Kejriwal will be leading its Lok Sabha campaign in the national capital and other states which started with a roadshow to back AAP’s East Delhi 

In March, Mr Chadha and Parineeti Chopra – the two married in September- took part in the London India Forum 2024, hosted at the London School of Economics. The couple shared photos on their social media handles. 

New Delhi:

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday wrote to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on the issue of the shortage of medicines in Mohalla clinics, hospitals and dispensaries of the Delhi government and the stoppage of free test facilities in Mohalla clinics.

Taking to social media platform X, the Health Minister wrote, “The Chief Secretary and Secretary (Health) blatantly misled both the government and the Legislative Assembly regarding the availability of medicines… Instead of looking for new frivolous excuses every time, the Chief Secretary should do positive work as directed by the government.”

Earlier in the day, on the occasion of Ram Navami and in line with the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, the Aam Aadmi Party launched a website on Wednesday named “Aap ka Ram Rajya” to showcase the party works being done inspired by Ram Rajya in Delhi and Punjab.

The party’s senior leaders, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjay Singh, Atishi, and Jasmine Shah, addressed a press conference here today and released the website.

MP Sanjay Singh said that the Aam Aadmi Party’s governments in Delhi and Punjab have done such work, and examples are being given by countries around the world.

“In these 10 years, we not only formed the government thrice in Delhi but also formed the government in Punjab with an overwhelming majority. The Kejriwal government in Delhi and the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab have done such work, whose examples are being given by the countries of the world today. Delhi is the only state that has a profitable budget despite doing so much work. We are determined to fulfil our vision of Ram Rajya on the ground,” he said.

“Those who want to see our imagination of Ram Rajya must visit our website. What work have we done in Delhi and Punjab? You can see all that and then join us,” Sanjay Singh added.

Further, AAP minister Atishi said that as Lord Ram faced a lot of struggle for Ram Rajya, in the same way, Arvind Kejriwal had to go through a similar struggle to fulfil the promises made to the people of Delhi and Punjab.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Four more senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are set to be arrested over the next two months, Delhi minister Atishi alleged today, accusing the BJP of using central agencies in its attempt to crush AAP. The ruling party, she alleged, plans to arrest her, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP MP Raghav Chadha and party MLA Durgesh Pathak.

“The BJP has approached me through someone very close. They have asked me to join the BJP and said this will save my political career. They have threatened that if I don’t switch over, ED (Enforcement Directorate) will arrest me within a month,” she told the media.

She said the person who approached her on behalf of the BJP had said that the ruling party had “made up its mind on crushing everyone in AAP”.

“First, they put everyone in AAP’s leadership in jail. Satyendra Jain, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and now Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have been arrested. The BJP’s plan is to arrest four more AAP leaders in the next two months. They will arrest me, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha,” she said.

The BJP, Ms Atishi said, had thought that the party would splinter after Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. “But after the rally in Ramlila Maidan Sunday, the BJP thinks the arrest of four leaders was not enough,” she said.

The Delhi minister claimed that she had received information that ED may raid her and her relatives’ homes in the coming days. “We are Arvind Kejriwal’s soldiers, we won’t be cowed down by BJP’s threats.”

Ms Atishi referred to the ED’s submission in court that Mr Kejriwal had said AAP’s former communication boss Vijay Nair reported to her and Mr Bharadwaj.

“This information is already in ED’s and CBI’s chargesheets. It is possible that ED took our names so that they proceed on arresting the second line of AAP leadership,” she said.

The BJP described the AAP leader’s allegations as “baseless”. Party leader RP Singh said, “I too can say that Saurabh Bharadwaj called me up and requested me to protect them from Arvind Kejriwal who wants to put them behind bars and make Sunita Kejriwal the Chief Minister. This is their internal tussle, which is coming out again and again in different forms.”

“The truth is that action will be taken against all whose names are involved in the matter. It is clear that the fight for the CM post has begun in AAP. Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi are on one side and Sunita Kejriwal and Arvind Kejriwal are on the other,” he alleged, according to news agency ANI.

Ms Atishi’s allegations and the BJP’s counter are the latest in the heated exchanges between AAP and BJP leaders in the wake of Mr Kejriwal’s arrest in a money laundering related to Delhi’s now-scrapped liquor policy. The Chief Minister has been remanded in judicial custody till April 15 and moved to Delhi’s Tihar jail. The ED has said he is not cooperating in the probe.

New Delhi:

Admonishing the Delhi health minister and health secretary for not complying with judicial orders on the enactment of a law to regulate clinical establishments, the Delhi High Court on Thursday warned them that they could be sent to jail.

The high court told Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and Health Secretary SB Deepak Kumar, who were present during the proceedings, that they are “servants of government” and can’t have “large egos”.

The court had in February asked Mr Bharadwaj and Mr Kumar to be present before it after perusing an email that said the minister was not kept in the loop during discussions on the Delhi Health Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill.

“What is troubling us is that the petitioner is highlighting the plight of a common man. He is telling us that all sorts of lab reports are being generated which are not true and correct and the common man is suffering. But it is your game of one-upmanship between the two of you and between the various factions that is going on. This is unacceptable to the court.

“You have to be practical and ensure that the touts do not benefit from the fight between these two people,” a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said, asking them not to indulge in “brinkmanship”.

The bench said if the minister and the secretary are incapable of handling the issues and keep on bickering, the court will ask a third party to handle things or pass an order about what has to be done.

“Don’t do this with us otherwise you both will go to jail. We will have no hesitation in sending both of you to jail if the common man benefits from this. Both of you can’t have large egos, you both are servants of the government and you both have to ensure that the common man benefits. What are you doing? People are getting wrong reports of their blood samples,” it said.

The high court was hearing a 2018 petition by Bejon Kumar Misra, represented by advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi, who has alleged that unauthorised laboratories and diagnostic centres were functioning in the national capital with unqualified technicians and giving incorrect reports to patients.

As the minister said the Delhi Health Bill was finalised in May 2022 itself, the high court asked why it was not yet sent to the Centre for approval.

The court said if this was going to take time, the Delhi government should consider implementing the central government statute- The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010.

The submission made by Mr Bharadwaj that the court’s indulgence will help the government to get the bill enacted irked the court which said, “you think we are a pawn in this game and you will use this as a matter of strategy. We are not anyone’s pawn, cure this misconception that you will use the court’s process”.

The petitioner had argued before the court that pathological labs in the city are unregulated and pose a threat to the lives of citizens.

The plea said, “Such illegal labs continue to mushroom in and around Delhi-NCT and it can be easily estimated that the total number of such illegal pathological and diagnostic labs can be anywhere between 20,000 and 25,000, and every street in the capital has such illegal pathological labs.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj today said the party suspects the police will arrest Arvind Kejriwal after policemen reached the Delhi Chief Minister’s house for questioning in the liquor policy case.

AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi also strongly condemned the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) move. Sources in the central probe agency said Mr Kejriwal could be arrested tonight.

“The people of Delhi consider Arvind Kejriwal their brother. The AAP government has done a lot for them. The people of Delhi stand with him, and will not remain silent,” Atishi told reporters.

Mr Bharadwaj said the police are not allowing anyone to enter Mr Kejriwal’s premises. “… It seems they plan to arrest Arvind Kejriwal,” Mr Bharadwaj told reporters.

Mr Kejriwal skipped the ED’s summons for a ninth time today in the Delhi liquor policy case.

The ED reached Mr Kejriwal’s house hours after the Delhi High Court declined to give protection from arrest to him. The court, however, ordered the ED to reply to Mr Kejriwal’s fresh petition and listed the matter to April 22.

Mr Bharadwaj said the ED’s move to raid Mr Kejriwal’s house is illegal as the high court had asked for the ED’s reply to the fresh petition.

“How can the ED enter Arvind Kejriwal’s house or arrest him, even before replying to the high court?” Mr Bharadwaj said.

The Delhi Chief Minister has approached the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing.

In a strong reaction to the Enforcement Directorate searches on premises linked to the Rajasthan Congress President and an MLA, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj has accused the BJP government at the centre of turning all of the country’s institutions into a joke.

“People are not even surprised anymore. They say even before such raids happen that elections are approaching in Rajasthan, so there will be ED action against parties there. Elections will also be held in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. The BJP is frustrated in every way and it feels that people’s trust in the party is decreasing,” Mr Bharadwaj, who is also a minister in the Delhi government, said on Thursday. 

Speaking in Hindi, the minister alleged that the BJP is trying to get its opponents on the back foot and scare them, and that is why all these investigations are happening. 

“If a government has 150 departments, there can be 150 alleged scams. All you have to do is ask one of your people to file a complaint. That could be linked to the ration system, coal or recruitment. It becomes an alleged scam. Then they start calling it a scam and arresting the accused. Then they say ‘look, these people are corrupt’,” Mr Bharadwaj said.

He alleged that this has become a joke now and while no action is being taken on actual scams, agencies are being used to scare, trouble and intimidate the opposition. “The people are watching. They are understanding everything,” said the minister. 

Earlier in the day, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son, Vaibhav Gehlot, was also summoned by the ED in connection with alleged violations of foreign exchange rules. Dismissing the allegations against his son, who has been asked to appear before the agency in Jaipur or Delhi on Friday, the chief minister said central agencies have lost all credibility. 

The agency also conducted searches on the premises of Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra and Independent MLA and Congress candidate Omprakash Hudla in connection with a 2022 paper leak case.

Reacting to Ashok Gehlot’s claims, BJP Rajasthan president CP Joshi said Congress leaders do not need to be afraid of the ED if they are clean.