AAP, BJP trade allegations as corruption probe begins in Delhi welfare scheme.
New Delhi: A heated political confrontation has erupted in Delhi between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over alleged financial irregularities amounting to Rs 145 crore under the “Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana”—a scheme initiated to offer free coaching to economically and socially disadvantaged students. Both political camps have exchanged sharp accusations, with BJP levelling charges of large-scale corruption, and AAP alleging a systematic effort by the BJP to dismantle welfare programs.
Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood disclosed that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had pushed for an inquiry into the alleged scam, which led Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to instruct the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to launch a formal investigation. Sood alleged that the previous AAP-led administration misappropriated funds from the scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic by working in collusion with private coaching centers to divert public money. “While projecting images of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for political gain, AAP dishonored his principles by transforming a social welfare scheme into a hub of corruption,” Sood stated during a media interaction.
The Jai Bhim scheme, launched in 2018, was meant to provide free coaching for exams such as UPSC, SSC, NEET, CLAT, and others to students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and Minority categories. As per Sood, coaching institutes submitted exaggerated invoices totaling Rs145 crore between July 2021 and August 2022, despite the scheme’s sanctioned budget being merely Rs15 crore. Of the 13,000 student records presented by these institutes, only 3,000 were verified, he claimed.
Sood further elaborated that even if all the verified students had opted for the costliest available courses, the total expenditure would still be capped at Rs30 crore—making the inflated Rs145 crore claims highly suspicious. He also alleged that a large chunk of applications had no documentation, lacked official registers, and were not backed by any credible signatures. BJP Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh supported these claims and said that nearly 35 private coaching centers are currently under investigation for submitting unverifiable or outright false data.
Reacting to the scandal, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta took to social media and condemned the alleged abuse of the scheme. She described it as a betrayal of Dalit students and an egregious misuse of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s legacy. “Falsified applications, forged documents, and complete misuse of public funds will not be overlooked. Each paisa will be accounted for,” she asserted.
In a sharp counterattack, the Aam Aadmi Party accused the BJP of weaponizing corruption narratives to systematically destroy every public welfare scheme established under AAP governance. AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj denounced the allegations as nothing more than a diversionary tactic to eliminate people-centric policies. “From Mohalla Clinics to free bus rides for women, BJP is obsessed with dismantling the very backbone of AAP’s development model,” Bharadwaj said.
He further slammed the BJP for failing to prove any corruption allegations and accused it of neglecting governance since taking power in Delhi six months ago. The party criticized the BJP for breaking its promise of Rs2,500 monthly aid to women and instead delivering “drama and disappointment.” Highlighting issues like power cuts, school bomb threats, rising private school fees, and slum demolitions, AAP accused BJP of vendetta politics. In a sharp statement, AAP said the BJP lacks a vision and challenged it to audit public services instead of targeting AAP leaders, urging the government to focus on real governance.
Although political analysts observed that as tensions between the BJP and AAP continue to rise and the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) is preparing to launch a thorough investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds under the Jai Bhim scheme. Meanwhile, Delhi’s citizens remain caught in the crossfire, as both parties ramp up efforts to influence public perception ahead of the approaching elections. It remains to be seen whether the ACB probe will uncover the truth or simply add more fuel to the ongoing political drama. One thing is certain, however—Delhi’s political atmosphere is growing increasingly volatile.
