BJP criticizes AAP for flood crisis in Delhi

BJP national spokesperson RP Singh expressed strong criticism of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regarding the ongoing flood situation in the nation’s capital. Singh accused the ruling party of attempting to conceal its failure in addressing the water woes faced by Delhi residents.

The confrontation emerged after the AAP accused the NDA regime at the Center and the BJP-led Haryana government of orchestrating a conspiracy to inundate Delhi by releasing water from the Hathnikund Barrage.

RP Singh rebuked the AAP’s accusations and urged them to address the alleged ‘scam’ that occurred under the pretext of cleaning the Yamuna River.

RP Singh said, “The AAP is making baseless allegations against us in a desperate attempt to hide their own failures. They were entrusted with the responsibility of cleaning the Yamuna, but they failed to deliver. If they had diligently ensured the river’s proper cleaning in a timely manner, the situation in the national capital wouldn’t have reached such critical levels. They should address the scandal that took place under the guise of Yamuna cleaning.”

RP Singh’s response came after Delhi’s Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Atishi accused the Haryana government of deliberately releasing excess water from the Hathnikund Barrage, leading to flooding in the national capital.

Atishi questioned the selective release of water solely towards Delhi, despite the fact that the Hathnikund Barrage supplies water to three states: Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. She raised concerns about the lack of diversion to Uttar Pradesh, speculating whether it was due to the BJP’s rule in the state. Atishi demanded answers from the BJP, questioning whether this was a conspiracy against the people of Delhi.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, who had previously leveled similar allegations against the BJP, joined Atishi’s accusations. “The Hathnikund barrage diverts the water to three different canals — the eastern canal, the western canal, and the Yamuna. The water of the western canal comes to Delhi so they keep releasing water into it and the same with Yamuna. But they are not releasing water into the eastern canal which goes to UP. What is the reason for this? This is a conspiracy against Delhi. The BJP-led central government is conspiring to flood Delhi,” Bharadwaj questioned.

In response to the Delhi government’s claims, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij denied any blame game and emphasized that his government was also receiving water from other states. He stated that they were making efforts to prevent flooding and mentioned that several districts in Haryana were also grappling with a flood-like situation due to excess water inflow.

Amidst the blame game between the Delhi and Haryana governments, Haryana Agriculture Minister Jai Parkash Dalal attributed the inundation to encroachments and illegal constructions in the National Capital.

Dalal emphasized that Haryana did not possess any dams and explained that water naturally flows from the state to Delhi, Agra, and Allahabad before reaching the Indian Ocean. He claimed that encroachments and unauthorized constructions along the Yamuna riverbanks had caused the shrinking of the river basin, resulting in increased flooding incidents.

According to the Delhi Flood Control Department, as of Sunday morning, the water level in the Yamuna River stood at 206.02 meters, a slight decrease from 207.58 meters recorded on Saturday morning. The department reported improvements in the waterlogged areas of Delhi, including the roads from Kashmere Gate to Majnu Ka Tila, as the water level gradually receded