New Delhi: The Delhi government Thursday wrote to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, alleging “pressure” by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on health department officials to not double Covid-19 tests in the national capital.
Health Minister Satyender Jain wrote the letter requesting the home secretary to ensure that no pressure is put on the Delhi government to not conduct more Covid tests.
The MHA, however, termed the allegations of pressure “false and baseless”.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, during a press briefing, said that Delhi would double its testing numbers — from 20,000 tests per day to 40,000 tests — as there has been a marginal increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the city.
Stating that Delhi has its own elected government representatives, Jain questioned in the letter why the Centre was intervening.
Given the absence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah (since he is quarantining at AIIMS), Jain stated in the letter that he decided to write to Bhalla.
‘Despicable, unexplainable’
Jain wrote that given the rise in Covid cases in Delhi in the past couple of days, a meeting of key stakeholders was convened on 26 August in which senior Delhi government officials decided that ramping up testing was the need of the hour.
Citing how across the world increased testing has been unanimously agreed to as an effective strategy to fight the pandemic, Jain wrote that the Delhi government has been following the same protocol.
“So far, the Delhi model has been considered successful in terms of fighting the virus, so then why are our officials being threatened and intimidated to not conduct 40,000 tests per day,” Jain wrote.
AAP leader and Rajinder Nagar MLA Raghav Chadha held a press conference Thursday evening in this regard.
“This is an unfair way to stop the operations of the Delhi government… it is despicable, unexplainable and incomprehensible means to prevent Delhi from conducting enough tests to fight coronavirus,” said Chadha.
Delhi Wednesday recorded 1,693 cases, the highest single-day spike in August, and 17 deaths. On Thursday, Delhi reported 1,840 new Covid cases and 23 deaths, taking the total tally to 1,67,604 cases and 4,369 deaths.
MHA’s response
The MHA, however, termed the allegations of pressure on Delhi government officials “baseless”.
In response to the letter, the MHA tweeted: “The allegation raised in the letter of the Health Minister of Delhi Govt dated August 27, 2020, which is addressed to Union Home Secretary, to the effect that MHA is putting pressure on Delhi Govt officers not to increase testing in Delhi is false and baseless.”
The allegation raised in the letter of the Health Minister of Delhi Govt dated August 27, 2020, which is addressed to Union Home Secretary, to the effect that MHA is putting pressure on Delhi Govt officers not to increase testing in Delhi is false and baseless.
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) August 27, 2020
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