Cracks in I.N.D.I.A ? AAP alleges phone call behind K'taka Min's U-turn on mohalla clinic

In a surprising turn of events, Karnataka Health Minister and Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao took a dramatic U-turn on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's Mohalla Clinic initiative in Delhi. After initially praising the initiative during a visit to one of the facilities, he later labelled it as "overhyped" and expressed disappointment. The AAP has alleged that the change in his statement was prompted by a phone call the minister received, further fueling speculations about tensions within the I.N.D.I.A alliance, of which both parties are a part.

On a recent visit to the Panchsheel Park Mohalla Clinic in Delhi, Dinesh Gundu Rao was accompanied by Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj. While interacting with reporters, Rao lauded the AAP's initiative, expressing his interest in understanding how they were implementing healthcare policies.  "I had heard a lot about mohalla clinics and I wanted to see them personally. I wanted to discuss how they (the AAP government) are implementing the health policies... We wanted to see how we can improve our system. I saw the Mohalla clinic and it is functioning very well People are also appreciating it," he said.

However, within minutes of his initial praise, the Karnataka Minister made a contrasting statement, claiming that he visited a Mohalla Clinic with hardly any people in attendance. He argued that Karnataka's Namma Clinics offer more facilities, including immediate testing options, suggesting that the Delhi clinics were "overhyped." This abrupt shift in stance left many puzzled.

Visited a Mohalla Clinic in Delhi with hardly any people there.

Our Clinics in Karnataka have more facilities including a laboratory to do immediate tests for patients.

I guess it is overhyped and I came back feeling disappointed. pic.twitter.com/z9VywnmB3z

— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) August 4, 2023

AAP alleges phone call prompted change in statement

The Aam Aadmi Party reacted strongly to Rao's 'overhyped' remark and alleged that the Karnataka Minister received a phone call that seemed to have influenced his change in the statement. They alleged that Rao left the location shortly after the call and subsequently tweeted his criticism of the Mohalla Clinic.

"Dinesh Gundu Rao received a phone call. Following the call, he mentioned an important meeting and left the location. A while later, he tweeted criticising the Mohalla clinic. However, only Dinesh Rao can clarify why his statement changed from praising the Mohalla clinic to criticising it after the phone call," AAP said in a statement, PTI reported.

In response to Rao's comparison between the Delhi Mohalla Clinic and Karnataka's Namma Clinic, AAP firmly stated that such a comparison was unjust. Namma Clinic, in reality, is just a name. It was initiated by the BJP government. The clinic provides only primary treatment for some illnesses like fever. Patients are referred to other hospitals," the party said, alleging further that the claim made by Rao that Namma Clinic's infrastructure is superior to Mohalla Clinic is "false".

If AAP's allegations are true, the pressing question remains: Who made the phone call to Rao that seemingly prompted his U-turn? Amid the speculations, the Supreme Court's stay on Rahul Gandhi's conviction in the 'Modi surname' defamation case adds another layer of intrigue to the entire scenario. As Congress finds itself in a more favourable position after the stay, questions emerge about whether this legal development influenced the party's decision-making. Could the U-turn on the Mohalla Clinic be a strategic manoeuvre to avoid being perceived as too closely aligned with the AAP?

Additionally, the implications for the I.N.D.I.A alliance's stability and future prospects become a subject of speculation. Could this controversy be a sign of deeper ideological differences and tensions between Congress and the AAP, which could ultimately strain the coalition's unity and cooperation?

(With inputs from agencies)