AAP will stage a state-wide protest on Friday against the Punjab government, Bhagwant Mann said.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will stage a state-wide protest on Friday against the Punjab government's decision to provide plasma to private hospitals at an "astronomical rate" for the treatment of coronavirus patients.
The party's state unit chief Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the "absurd and anti-people" decisions of the state and central governments were forcing people to take to the streets amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Sangrur MP, in a statement, said the Aam Aadmi Party would not see all this happening as a "mute witness" as to how donated plasma was being "sold out" to those undergoing treatment at various private hospitals at a price of Rs 20,000 per unit.
He said it was "indulging" in the "sale" of donated plasma at a time when the state government should provide succour to people amid the pandemic.
Mr Mann said, "As the principal opposition party, we strongly oppose the open loot by the government allowing sale of donated plasma. We will hold peaceful and symbolic protests against this decision on Friday all across Punjab, strictly observing the essential safety Corona stipulations."
The AAP MP informed that he along with the Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, would sit outside the Chief Minister's residence in Patiala, while senior leader and party MLAs Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Meet Hayer would sit outside Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu's residence in Mohali.
He said the party units from all the assembly constituencies would stage peaceful protests, along with their respective MLAs or local leaders and submit memorandums to the government through area SDMs and deputy commissioners.
Notably, the state government on July 26 had said that it had decided to provide plasma to private hospitals from the government's plasma bank at a cost of Rs 20,000 per unit.
Plasma would be made available free of cost to patients undergoing treatment in the government hospitals, it had also said.