DJB office vandalised; 3 injured in clash over access to tap water
New Delhi: Amid escalating protests over the severe water crisis in the national Capital, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday accused BJP leaders and workers of vandalising an office of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
Bharadwaj shared a video showing individuals, allegedly BJP workers, breaking windows and hurling stones and earthen pots at the DJB office in Chhatarpur.
“See BJP leaders wearing party sashes and its workers raising slogans of BJP Zindabad vandalising government property at the Delhi Jal Board office. Who is getting pipelines broken at various places? Whose conspiracy is it?” he posted on X in Hindi.
Earlier in the day, BJP leaders had led protests against the AAP government across Delhi, blaming it for the ongoing water shortage. AAP has accused the BJP-ruled Haryana of not releasing Delhi’s share of water, exacerbating
the crisis. The Congress has also protested against the acute water shortage.
BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri defended the actions of the protesters, stating, “It is natural. The people can do anything when they are angry. I am grateful to BJP workers who controlled those people. It is the government’s and people’s property. There is no benefit in damaging this property.”
In response to the vandalism, Delhi Water minister Atishi accused the BJP of conspiring against Delhi’s residents. “The first part of the conspiracy was reducing Delhi’s water through its government in Haryana. On Sunday, the Wazirabad barrage is lying empty while the
Munak canal is receiving less water,” she alleged. She claimed the second part of the conspiracy involved breaking water pipelines, and the third part was sending goons to vandalise the DJB office.
Atishi has written to Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, requesting the deployment of personnel to protect major water pipelines from potential sabotage. She stated, “Will the Delhi Police register an FIR? Will the Delhi Lt Governor take action?”
BJP leaders have countered these accusations, blaming the AAP government for mismanagement and corruption. BJP MP Harsh Malhotra said, “Delhi government is receiving enough water for the public of Delhi. The shortage that we are facing today is because of their corruption, non-planning, and non-action.” Echoing this sentiment, BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva blamed water theft, tanker mafias, and neglected infrastructure for the crisis, accusing the Delhi government of failing to address these issues over the past decade.
Meanwhile, tensions flared in Dwarka, where a dispute over access to water from a common tap resulted in three people being injured and hospitalised at Indira Gandhi Hospital. Delhi Police confirmed that two PCR calls were made regarding the incident, and cross-cases have been registered based on statements from both parties. As the water crisis continues, the political battle between the AAP and BJP shows no signs of abating, with both sides trading accusations and calling for urgent action to resolve the issue.
