Former Madhepura MP and president of Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav got into a spat on Saturday with BJP MP from Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy over the latter keeping ambulances parked at his native village in Saran. Mr. Yadav asked Mr. Rudy to hand over keys of the “30 ambulances” to be deployed for ferrying COVID-19 patients.
“I’ve nothing against Rudy ji, but as he had said the ambulances are parked due to a lack of drivers. I have a bunch of drivers with driving licences here ready to go to Saran in the service of COVID-19 patients,” Mr. Yadav told media persons in Patna, flanked by a group of drivers displaying their driving licences.
Friday visit
On Friday, the Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) chief along with his associates had reached Amnour village in Saran district and found unused ambulances covered with plastic sheets and tarpaulin parked on premises allegedly owned by Mr. Rudy. The ambulances, bought with the local area funds of Mr. Rudy, had “MPLADS-2019” labels on them.
“We want to know why they were being kept off the streets at a time when there is a huge rise in COVID-19 cases and oxygen, drugs and ambulances are in short supply. Ambulance service providers are exacting hefty charges from those in need,” said Mr. Yadav, urging the State government to look into it. “There is nothing about Rudy ji or Pappu... this is about Bihar and the people of Bihar,” he said.
An incensed Mr. Rudy soon released a video, saying there were only 20 ambulances and that they were grounded because of a lack of drivers.
