Chandigarh: A political controversy has erupted in Punjab over a Health Department tableau presented during the state-level Independence Day celebrations.
The tableau featured a group of elderly people, most of whom were reportedly retired Health Department employees, dancing to popular Punjabi songs as part of a presentation highlighting government healthcare initiatives, including the Chief Minister Health Scheme.
The video went viral on social media, prompting criticism from opposition parties.
Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia accused the AAP government of using the Independence Day platform for publicity rather than improving healthcare facilities. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also criticised the presentation and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh.
Warring alleged that the people shown in the tableau were being presented as beneficiaries of successful knee-replacement surgeries, despite later claims that they were retired Health Department employees.
However, Civil Surgeon Dr Meenakshi Dhingra said the tableau was simply a representation of the benefits being provided under various government health schemes and that no patients’ identities had been disclosed. She maintained that there was nothing objectionable about the presentation.
