'Skeletons of misdeeds': Dr Harsh Vardhan lashes out at AAP for exaggerating O2 need

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is receiving massive backlash from the BJP after a Supreme Court panel found out that the Delhi government inflated the oxygen requirement. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan too lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party after the report indicated that the Delhi government exaggerated the oxygen supply. Taking to Twitter, Dr Harsh Vardhan hit out at AAP and wrote:

"Skeletons of misdeeds in the midst of a pandemic falling out of Aam Aadmi Party's closet," 

The Health Minister further slammed AAP for 'misusing' a critical situation for personal benefit. He further blamed Kejriwal for deflecting responsibility and holding resources that were necessary. 

"Highly deplorable of Arvind Kejriwal & Co to misuse a critical situation to grab eyeballs, deflect responsibility and corner invaluable resource for no good reason." said Harsh Vardhan 

AAP denies oxygen audit report

However, the Aam Aadmi Party has denied and said that no such report exists. Addressing a press conference, Delhi's Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has claimed that no such report existed. He also added that no member of the oxygen panel signed any such report. Sisodia further alleged that the BJP was doing politics and busy abusing CM Arvind Kejriwal. He maintained that the matter was going on in the Supreme Court and said that Delhi did face an oxygen crisis. 

Delhi Inflated Oxygen Need By 4 Times: SC Panel

The Supreme Court had appointed an audit team which found out on Friday that the Delhi Government exaggerated the oxygen requirement in the national capital by more than four times during the peak of the COVID-19 and oxygen crisis. It added that the excessive supply being allotted to Delhi could have affected the supply to around 12 states. The panel further added that the exaggerated demand of 1140 mt was more than four times the calculated consumption as per the bed formula.  

Earlier in May, a Justice DY Chandrachud-led bench of the top court had directed the Centre to maintain an oxygen supply of 700 MT to Delhi even as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had presented experts’ calculation of the need to be around 415 MT of Liquid Medical Oxygen. This came after the Delhi government had raised alarm over the shortage of oxygen supply during the peak of the second wave of novel coronavirus infections. The national capital had faced a major shortage of oxygen, available beds, and medicines required for the treatment of COVID patients during the April-May period.