₹90-Crore Bicycle Scam? AAP vs. BJP Over Delhi's Vidya Vahini Yojana!

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are clashing over allegations of irregularities in Delhi's recently launched Vidya Vahini Yojana. AAP has accused the BJP-led government of a “₹90-crore scam” involving the purchase of 1.3 lakh bicycles intended for Class 9 girl students.

AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj initiated the war of words, claiming that bicycles were purchased at “exorbitant” rates through a “tailored” tender process. He alleged that the tender's requirement of a ₹360 crore turnover for participating firms was designed to benefit a specific company, limiting competition. Bharadwaj also pointed out that the government deliberately avoided a pre-bid meeting during the tender process and mentioned that a bicycle-manufacturing company had already raised these concerns with the Lieutenant-Governor and the Vigilance Department.

In response, BJP MLA and Delhi government spokesperson Harish Khurana swiftly dismissed AAP's allegations as “baseless,” asserting that they were founded solely on a private firm's complaint. Khurana accused AAP of attempting to divert public attention from other issues like the “school bag scam” and “exam paper leak cases” in AAP-ruled Punjab. He clarified that bicycle prices vary widely in the Delhi market, from ₹4,000 to ₹50,000, suggesting that higher costs might reflect different models and features, and firmly stated there was “no bicycle scam.”

The Vidya Vahini Yojana, launched by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on July 31, aims to improve access to education and reduce dropout rates among girl students. The Delhi government had allocated ₹90 crore in its budget to provide these bicycles, with over 3,000 students already having received them. The scheme targets 1.3 lakh Class 9 girl students in government schools, highlighting the significant impact of this controversy on a crucial educational initiative.

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