India News | AAP Slams BJP for Waterlogging in Delhi, Asks Where is PWD Minister

New Delhi, May 25 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday lambasted the BJP-led dispensation over waterlogging in Delhi, calling it a failure of the "four-engine" government.

While there was no immediate reaction from the BJP, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena shared videos of key drains with a free flow.

Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir Road Accident: Police Officer Killed, Another Injured by Speeding Vehicle in Samba.

An overnight thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain disrupted flight operations, uprooted trees and electricity poles, and caused waterlogging in several areas of the city. According to India Meteorological Department, the city's primary weather station recorded winds gusting up to 82 kilometres per hour and 81.2 mm of rain in six hours between 11.30 pm on Saturday and 5.30 am on Sunday.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released multiple videos on X showing the extent of the flooding.

Also Read | Maharashtra: Woman Dies After 'Choking on Piece of Chicken' at Palghar Resort; Police Await Autopsy Report.

AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Atishi, former Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, AAP leader Adil Ahmad Khan, and former MLA Gulab Singh Yadav squarely blamed the BJP for the inundation.

After posting a video of waterlogging at ITO, the AAP said, "When Delhiites woke up this morning, they found the city submerged. This is the result of the so-called four-engine government. A little rain and the roads are flooded. These waterlogged streets tell the true story of BJP's broken down four-engine government."

In another video showing a car submerged in water, the AAP said, "Cars and buses are stuck underwater. At one underpass in Delhi Cantonment, a car and a bus were completely submerged. Now Chief Minister Rekha Gupta can visit the spot to take credit for this work."

The party also highlighted the situation at Minto Road, which is a chronic waterlogging hotspot.

"Even a little rain caused waterlogging beneath Minto Bridge, where a car got submerged. Just a few days ago, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Minister Parvesh Verma came here for a photoshoot. They did nothing beyond clicking pictures. This is the result," the party said in another post.

Videos from Dhaula Kuan and Chanakyapuri were also shared.

"There's not a single part of Delhi where BJP's failed four-engine government has not caused waterlogging. Even Chanakyapuri, one of the VIP areas of Delhi and home to numerous embassies, was submerged after a light shower," AAP stated.

AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj posted a series of videos on X, highlighting the city's plight.

"This is BJP's four-engine rule in Delhi: tap water in every house, and floodwater on every road," he wrote.

Sharing photos of an inundated Timarpur Road, Bharadwaj noted, "Here's the condition of Timarpur under the four-engine government: Prime Minister-?BJP, LG-?BJP, Chief Minister-?BJP, MCD Mayor-?BJP, NDMC-?BJP, and most importantly, all officials under BJP control. Yet this is the state of Delhi."

Bharadwaj also questioned the absence of Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Verma.

Sharing the photo of a recent meeting convened by the chief minister, he said, "Delhi is completely waterlogged. Yet minister Parvesh Verma, ?who boasted of suspending 335 officials recently, ?is missing ... Even in the cabinet photo four days ago, the minister was absent. For days now, Delhi has been reeling under water crisis ... CM Rekha Gupta must explain where her PWD and Water Minister Parvesh Verma is," he said in a post in Hindi.

Sharing a video posted by Delhi Traffic Police on X, Saurabh Bharadwaj wrote, "Mundka is the parental village of PWD Minister Parvesh Verma. Can BJP tell us where he is?"

Former Delhi chief minister Atishi also posted series of videos after the overnight rain.

"This is what happens to Delhi after just one spell of rain under the BJP's four-engine government," she said.

Sharing visuals from the Minto Bridge, she said, "A car submerged after light rain. It is crystal clear -- ?this four-engine government has failed."

Atishi also shared a video from ITO, noting that the waterlogging happened right outside the PWD headquarters. "Where is PWD Minister Parvesh Verma hiding?" she asked.

Meanwhile, L-G Saxena praised the Delhi government for making efforts to mitigate waterlogging and said the "morass" had set in due to more than a decade of neglect.

"It is encouraging to see the Irrigation & Flood Control Department striving to make our drains flow and mitigate waterlogging amidst heavy unexpected rains. The consistent efforts of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta vide field visits and monitoring have started showing results. The morass set in due to the neglect of more than a decade will take considerable time getting fully sorted, but the new government's efforts at governance are indeed gratifying," he said on X, along with videos of key drains.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)