NEW DELHI: The BJP’s stridency on Saturday over the water shortage plaguing the capital city struck all the three levels of irony: verbal, situational, and dramatic. The police came charging in to disperse BJP workers gathered before a Delhi Jal Board office. The police used water cannons at a time when Water Minister Atishi has been on an indefinite hunger strike to draw attention to the crisis-like situation in the city.
On the other hand, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena held the AAP government responsible for the prevailing crisis in the city. The “shrill discourse” of the Delhi ministers over the last few weeks has been distressing and questionable, Saxena said in his statement.
“Political leaders of Delhi have turned a crisis into an opportunity for blaming the neighbouring states with the sole aim of gaining political mileage,” he said.
The police’s action has started a discussion over social media where netizens highlighted the hidden irony and condemned the act.
“Delhi is suffering from a water crisis, yet the police are using water cannons on protesters,” a user wrote on X. Another user wrote: “People are protesting and police are using water cannons !!”
The protest was led by former BJP MP from South Delhi Ramesh Bhiduri outside the water agency’s regional office in Okhla. Hundreds of party workers raised slogans against the AAP government over water scarcity. However, they faced water cannons after they refused to move away despite warnings by the police.
Addressing the protesters, Bidhuri alleged that the DJB, which had profits of `600 crore, is now facing losses of Rs 60,000 crore due to corruption. He later handed over a memorandum to a DJB engineer over the supply shortage in the Tughlaqabad assembly constituency.
A few days ago, Bidhuri was also found allegedly involved in a similar protest carried outside a DJB office in Chhatarpur. The incident witnessed vandalism for which AAP blamed Bidhuri.
Meanwhile, Atishi accused the BJP government in Haryana of stopping the release of 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of water to Delhi.
Blame game amid crisis
The police used water cannons—wasting gallons of water—on protesting BJP cadres at a DJB office in Okhla at a time when Delhi is struggling to get water. The city govt’s inability to get extra supply has forced the ruling AAP on the back foot, forcing it to blame Haryana for stopping the release of 100 million gallons per day of water to Delhi.
AAP, BJP spat widens
Left to defend her AAP government in the face of people’s complaints and anger about inadequate water supply and BJP protests, Water Minister Atishi has been on hunger strike. Her protest on Saturday brought more of the political slugfest to the surface with some people, allegedly BJP activists, trying to disrupt her protest.