Delhi flood situation: AAP hits out at LG, govt over alleged absence from ground
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hit out at Lt Governor V K Saxena and the Delhi government over the flood situation in the capital, questioning their alleged absence from ground-level relief efforts.
There was no immediate reaction from the Delhi government or the LG office to the charges.
The Yamuna level stood at 207.44 metres at 4 pm, after remaining steady between 2 pm and 3 pm at 207.45 metres.
AAP Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned whether the BJP government had carried out desilting of drains honestly. He also asked why Saxena was not visiting flooded areas this time.
"The LG sir is so knowledgeable and an expert on rivers and drains, and there is a BJP government with 'double engine' (actually four engines), yet Delhi is submerged.@LtGovDelhi sir, please tell us - Has desilting of the Yamuna River been done? Has desilting of the Najafgarh drain been done?
"Expert LG sir, if desilting has been done honestly, then why is Delhi still submerged? Why is a third-party audit of the desilting not being conducted? Why is the LG silent on the whole matter?" he said in a post on X in Hindi.
Bharadwaj also shared a video on X, asking Saxena to step out to take stock of the situation. To question Saxena, he shared news clippings from 2023 when several parts of Delhi were inundated.
"Pls find out if LG saab still has steno and printer in his office. He has not written to Delhi CM since long," Bharadwaj posted on X, sharing a news article about Saxena writing to the then Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, outlining factors responsible for the 2023 floods.
Delhi battled one of its worst flood-like situations in 2023, when several areas were inundated after heavy rains and more than 25,000 people had to be evacuated.
In 2023, when the city was hit by severe flooding, the Yamuna's level rose to 208.66 metres. The other highest ever was in 1978, when the level rose to 207.49 metres.
AAP also shared videos from 2023 when Bharadwaj, Kejriwal and former chief minister Atishi were on the ground to assess the situation. They also shared videos of the flooding situation this year.
"The difference is clear‼ A government that works vs a government that gives empty slogans," it said.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the Old Railway Bridge and the relief camp near Yamuna Bazar to assess the situation a couple of days ago. PWD Minister Parvesh Verma visited ITO barrage on Wednesday.
In a post on X in Hindi, AAP said, "The public is remembering the AAP government.. The people of Delhi affected by the floods are troubled by the negligence and mismanagement of the BJP's 4 engines. Are the BJP's 4 engines asleep? The public is remembering Kejriwal Ji."
In another post, the party alleged that there are not even proper arrangements for food and drink have not been made.
"People affected by the floods in Delhi are facing a lot of difficulties. People are saying that even proper arrangements for food have not been made. The question is, where are the BJP's 4 engines sleeping?" the party said in another post on X in Hindi.
The party also hit out at the government over setting up relief camps at places that are flooded. At some places like Mayur Vihar Phase I, it was a double whammy for people who had to vacate their houses due to flooding and were then shifted to other shelters after the relief camps were also inundated.
"What are you doing, BJP people.. You won't find any relief in the relief camps set up by the BJP's four-engine government, because this great government has set up the camps in such places where the floodwaters have already reached," the party said.
AAP leaders use the "four-engine" term to refer to the BJP, which is at the helm at the Centre, in Delhi, in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and is also "controlling" the lieutenant governor's office.
