'Lt Governor Doesn't Want To Work On Weekend': AAP Hits Back Amid Health Crisis In Delhi

Kapil Mishra, who along with Health Minister Satyendar Jain had gone to Mr Jung's office this morning, said: "We went to Lt Governor's office today since he sent an urgent fax last night to Manish Sisodia, but he wasn't there as he doesn't work on weekends. We called him too... he's not working today and he doesn't want to talk about work."

Dismissing the Delhi government's allegations, a statement from the Lt Governor's office said that the party was trying to "politicize" the issue. "The AAP leader's did not inform about their visit and the L-G office is operational on all days of the week," it said.

Health Minister also attacked Mr Jung today in the latest episode of an ongoing tussle between the centre represented by the L-G and the Aam Aadmi Party government of Arvind Kejriwal. "The L-G should call me, I am health minister, not the Dy CM... Why can't the L-G go with me to the hospitals to meet patients,"Mr Jain said.

The opposition has alleged that Mr Sisodia is holidaying in Finland when the capital is in the grip of a massive chikungunya and dengue outbreak. Calling the health situation in Delhi "warlike", Congress leader Ajay Maken said, "CM should've postponed his surgery and deputy CM should've cut down his educational tour."

Mr Kejriwal is away for surgery in Bengaluru and many have questioned the timing of what has been described by AAP as Mr Sisodia's "educational tour" to Finland, at a time when the capital faces a huge health crisis. Mr Sisodia is supposed to be in charge when Mr Kejriwal is away.

Mr Sisodia responded on Twitter, saying, "Learning from across the world is not a sin. It's a sin to defame an educational tour as a 'holiday'. I'm in Finland. We need to learn a lot from their education system, the best in the world (sic)."

Mr Sisodia is returning from Finland today. Mr Kejriwal had surgery to cure his chronic cough on Wednesday and is likely to be back by September 22.

Mr Kejriwal drew criticism for his Goa visit earlier this week, where he had gone to oversee AAP's preparations for next year's elections, while the cases of chikungunya and dengue were rising in Delhi.

A total of 14 people have died in chikungunya-related cases in Delhi and 13 of dengue. Hospitals report more than 3,000 cases of mosquito-borne diseases in the city.

The Delhi Government yesterday issued an order declaring chikungunya as a dangerous disease and directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi or MCD to keep records of such cases and inform about the same.