Political tensions escalated on Monday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued its protests against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government. This followed accusations by Delhi Water Minister Atishi that former BJP lawmaker Ramesh Bidhuri led an attack on the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) office in Chhattarpur, alleging it was part of a larger conspiracy.
On Sunday, the DJB reported a water production of 901 million gallons per day, falling 55 MGD short of its actual capacity. Amidst this shortfall, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, during a protest in Mukherjee Nagar, criticized Atishi, saying, “Delhi Jal Board is a department of the Delhi government. What kind of water minister is Atishi? Only to sell water to ‘tanker mafias’? This is a very big question. That’s why we are protesting with the people of Delhi.”
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva echoed Tiwari’s sentiments, vowing that the party would “continue to attack the AAP till everyone gets water in Delhi” and accused the AAP of corruption. The BJP’s protest over the water crisis intensified in Geeta Colony, where Sachdeva reiterated these claims.
In response, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh accused the BJP, Delhi Lieutenant Governor, and the Haryana Government of conspiring to exacerbate the water crisis in Delhi. During a press conference, Singh presented a video purportedly showing Ramesh Bidhuri leading a violent protest and vandalizing the DJB office in Chhattarpur. “They shamelessly attacked the DJB office… They do not want the water crisis to be solved. They want it to get worse,” Singh stated.
Singh further alleged that this incident revealed the BJP’s animosity towards Delhi’s residents and criticized the lack of an investigation into the matter. Responding to BJP’s accusations of AAP’s failure to address the water crisis, Singh said, “The Haryana government is headed by the BJP. Why is nobody questioning the CM on the release of water to Delhi? This is a water crisis favored by the BJP… It is a sin to stop the water of the people.”
Additionally, on Saturday, the Delhi Congress held ‘matka phod’ protests against the AAP government to highlight the ongoing water scarcity issues.
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