New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (January 17) stayed a Delhi High Court order directing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the national capital.
A bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih stayed the High Court order on a plea filed by the Delhi government.
Delhi government challenged High Court order before apex court
The Delhi government challenged the direction of the High Court, which asked it to sign an MoU with Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by January 5 for implementing AB-PMJAY.
What did the Delhi government submit?
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for the Delhi government, questioned the High Court order, asking how can the High Court force the Delhi government to sign an MoU with the Centre and argued that by doing so, the High Court had redefined powers regarding health.
The bench, while staying the High Court order, also issued notice to the Centre on Delhi government’s plea and sought its response.
What did seven Delhi MPs seek from High Court?
Seven Members of Parliament (MPs) from the national capital – Harsh Malhotra, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Praveen Khandelwal, Yogendra Chandolia, Manoj Tiwari, Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Bansuri Swaraj – had also moved the High Court for implementing the AB-PMJAY scheme in Delhi.
The seven MPs submitted before the High Court that Delhi was the only Union Territory in the country where the healthcare scheme of the Centre providing essential health coverage of Rs 5 lakh for the underprivileged was yet to be implemented.
The petitioner MPs sought the AAP-led Delhi government to implement the Centre-funded healthcare scheme, submitting that “clash of political ideologies must take a back seat” in the interest of welfare of the residents of Delhi.
