BJP, AAP engage in fiery blame game as floods paralyze Delhi – Who’s at fault?”
As Delhi battles with severe waterlogging and flooding, the political scene has turned into a hotbed of accusations between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Both parties blame each other for the city’s unprecedented flood situation.
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj of AAP alleged a conspiracy by the BJP, accusing the BJP-led Centre and Haryana government of deliberately releasing water towards the national capital, contributing to the floods. In response, the Haryana government questioned why they would intentionally release water when they too are grappling with heavy rainfall.
In contrast, BJP attributes the flood situation in the national capital to the purported inaction and corruption of the AAP government led by Arvind Kejriwal. This political strife is set against a backdrop of unusual flooding in Delhi as the Yamuna River surpasses its danger mark, leading to substantial waterlogging across the city.
The AAP’s Bharadwaj claimed in a press conference that a ‘conspiracy’ had occurred between July 9 and 13 when water was released only from the Yamuna canal out of the three canals connected to the Hathnikund Barrage. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and PWD Minister Atishi echoed similar allegations.
AAP-BJP clash over Delhi floods intensifies amidst unprecedented situation. Photo courtesy of Yadhu Krishna BP/Wikimedia Commons.
Dismissing the allegations, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij questioned why his state would willingly release water when it is also dealing with heavy rainfall and flooding. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar explained the limitations of the Hathnikund Barrage, highlighting that its capacity to regulate water is limited, especially when the river’s flow surpasses the barrage’s capacity of one lakh cusecs.
The BJP took the opportunity to critique the AAP government further, demanding an apology from Kejriwal for his ‘failure’ to manage the situation. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia and party MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma blamed the Kejriwal government’s lack of Yamuna desilting over the past eight years for the flood crisis.
Delhi continues to grapple with waterlogging and traffic issues due to heavy rain on Saturday evening, adding to the existing flooding. As the Yamuna River has breached its danger level, there are concerns that the rain may further raise the river’s water level. As per the Central Water Commission, the water level of Yamuna has decreased slightly but continues to remain significantly above the danger mark.