AAP slams BJP for ‘unpreparedness’, CM hits back

New Delhi: A political slugfest erupted between the ruling BJP and the AAP on Friday after the season’s first rainfall battered Delhi, leading to widespread waterlogging, traffic jams, flight delays, and a tragic house collapse that claimed four lives.

While the AAP slammed the BJP’s “4-engine” for “unpreparedness”, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hit back, saying the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led party regime left behind a broken system.

“I want to thank god for this untimely rain today, which is an alarm for the whole system. This is not a one-day problem but an issue of backlog of development, system breakdowns, and apathy of administration in Delhi in the past 10-15 years,” Gupta said.

She took a pointed dig at former chief minister Kejriwal, saying, “These matters would not have reached Kejriwal’s ears as he used to enjoy sound-proof sleep in his ‘Sheesh Mahal,’ oblivious of thunderstorms, broken trees and waterlogging.”

The AAP, which governed Delhi until recently, held a press conference accusing the BJP of failing to make adequate preparations for the monsoon despite timely weather alerts. Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Today, Delhi saw its first rainfall and the entire city is submerged — roads, colonies, and underpasses are all waterlogged. This is the reality of the ‘four-engine’ BJP government.”

Bharadwaj pointed out that the BJP now controls all major civic and infrastructure bodies in the city — the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Public Works Department (PWD), and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

“No more excuses. Whether the agency is under the Centre or the state, they are all under BJP control now,” he said.

“If a road belongs to the NDMC, it’s the Centre’s responsibility. If it’s under DDA, it’s the L-G’s. If it’s the PWD or flood control department, it’s the Delhi government’s. And if it belongs to MCD, then again BJP is responsible. All four engines are of the BJP now,” he added.

AAP also questioned the performance of the PWD, citing earlier claims by Minister Parvesh Verma that 445 waterlogging hotspots in Delhi were under close watch.

“Yet, waterlogging happened at 400 of those spots today. How many engineers have been suspended? The minister hasn’t told us,” Bharadwaj said. He demanded that the report of the third-party audit on desilting — mandated by the Delhi High Court — be made public.