The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday questioned the Delhi government’s purchase of bicycles for schoolgirls, comparing a government-distributed bicycle with a similar model bought by the party at retail for ₹4,200.
AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said the BJP-led Delhi government purchased 1.30 lakh bicycles at ₹6,957 each, while the bicycle bought by AAP cost ₹4,200, including ₹200 in tax. He also questioned the quality of components used in the government-distributed bicycles.
AAP Compares Two Bicycles
Displaying the two bicycles at a press conference, Bharadwaj said both were similar but had differences in their components.
He said the tyres on the bicycle purchased by AAP were Metro-branded and cost around ₹350 to ₹500, while the government-distributed
bicycle had local tyres costing around ₹150. He also pointed to differences in the rims and brakes, saying the AAP-purchased bicycle had aluminium brake levers, whereas those on the government-distributed bicycle were made of plastic.
Bharadwaj said the bicycle supplied by the government carries a ‘Skyler’ sticker, which he described as fake. He claimed that the genuine Skyler model had been discontinued by Hero Cycles a year ago and that its trademark had also expired.
‘Where Did They Get This Skyler From?’
Bharadwaj said the genuine Skyler bicycle specified in the government tender was supposed to cost around ₹7,000 and have seven gears, suspension and disc brakes.
He claimed that the bicycles supplied by the government under the Skyler name had none of these features, saying they had no gears, disc brakes or suspension.
Bharadwaj said AAP would take both bicycles to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Education Minister Ashish Sood and ask them to examine the two models and explain which one was genuine. He also said he would share the receipt for the ₹4,200 bicycle, including the ₹200 tax, on WhatsApp and Twitter.
Bharadwaj Targets Education Department
Bharadwaj criticised the Education Department under Minister Ashish Sood and rejected the department’s repeated reference to the Government e-Marketplace (GeM).
He said the tender was floated through GeM but argued that using the platform did not justify what he described as the alleged irregularities in the purchase.
He also said the Opposition had already displayed a bicycle costing ₹4,000 and questioned why the government continued to maintain that the purchase had been carried out correctly.
AAP MLA Claims Cheaper Supply Was Available
AAP MLA and Chief Whip in the Delhi Assembly Sanjeev Jha said a bidder from Ludhiana, SK Bikes, had stated that it could not bid for the tender but could supply the bicycle for ₹4,100.
Jha further said he had unofficially received a call from someone from Hero who claimed that the bicycle purchased by the government could be supplied for ₹3,200.
Jha described the matter as “clear-cut corruption” and questioned why Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was protecting her minister and not taking action against him.
He said AAP had demanded a discussion on the issue both inside and outside the Assembly. According to Jha, if there was nothing wrong with the purchase, the government should have allowed the matter to be discussed and the minister should have responded.
Jha said that if the issue was not discussed, AAP would file complaints with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), seeking an investigation and action.
Mechanic Points To Component Differences
A mechanic who examined both bicycles also pointed out differences between them.
He said the red bicycle purchased by AAP had aluminium brake levers and Metro-branded tyres, while the ‘bhagwa’ bicycle distributed by the Delhi government had plastic brake levers and local tyres. He said the tyre on the AAP-purchased bicycle cost around ₹350 compared with ₹150 for the government-distributed bicycle.
The mechanic also said the government-distributed bicycle had a lighter rim and a lighter crank.
According to him, the Delhi government-distributed bicycles regularly come to his shop for repairs, with complaints including loose components. He said some bicycles arrive with one part loose, another malfunctioning, or in a generally loose condition.
