AAP slams BJP’s ‘four-engine’ govt in Delhi as season’s first downpour triggers waterlogging

Delhi’s first heavy rainfall of the season on Friday led to widespread waterlogging and flight disruptions, prompting the AAP to launch a scathing attack on the city’s BJP government, accusing it of being unprepared. Addressing a press conference, AAP’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said the BJP controls the city’s various civic agencies and it cannot escape responsibility.

There was no immediate response available from the BJP.

“Today, Delhi saw its first rainfall and the entire city is submerged, roads, underground, colonies, everything is waterlogged. This is the reality of the ‘four-engine’ BJP government,” Bharadwaj said.

The BJP controls the NDMC, DDA, PWD, and MCD, he said, adding, “No more excuses. All agencies, whether under the Centre or the state, are now controlled by the BJP”. “If a road belongs to the NDMC, it’s the responsibility of the BJP-led central government; if a road belongs to the DDA, it’s the responsibility of the BJP’s LG; if a road belongs to the PWD or flood control department, it’s the responsibility of the BJP’s Delhi government, and if a road belongs to the MCD, then also the BJP is responsible. All four engines are of the BJP now,” Bharadwaj added.

The AAP leader claimed that the rain was “normal” and a forecast had been issued.

An intense storm with heavy early-morning rain hit the national capital on Friday, causing a house collapse that killed a woman and her three children and delaying more than 200 flights.

Many busy road stretches, including Minto Bridge and ITO, were waterlogged, causing heavy traffic jams in many areas. Referring to the earlier statements of Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, Bharadwaj said, “The minister had identified 445 waterlogging hotspots and claimed that each one was under an engineer’s watch. Yet, today we see waterlogging at 400 of those spots. How many engineers have been suspended? The minister hasn’t told us.” He also raised questions on the implementation of the Delhi High Court’s directive last year on third-party audits of desilting operations. “If a third-party audit has been conducted, make the report public. Today’s scenes clearly show no actual desilting was done, but payments worth crores may have been made,” he alleged, hinting at corruption. Bharadwaj said Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had assured that there would be no waterlogging in the city. “Is this governance?” Bharadwaj asked. “Our CM is seen cutting ribbons every day, but when does she work?” Drawing a parallel with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharadwaj said, “Just as Modi blames Nehru for everything, Rekha Gupta will spend her term blaming Arvind Kejriwal.” Taking to social media, AAP Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, shared visuals of waterlogged roads at ITO and Dhaula Kuan. “Is this what the people of Delhi expected from the 4-engine BJP govt?” she said on X, referring to the BJP being in power at the Centre, in Delhi, having a majority in the MCD, and the LG reporting to the Centre. The waterlogging outside the PWD’s ITO office is “symbolic” of the civic failure of the BJP, she said. Meanwhile, PWD minister Singh visited the Minto Bridge area near the commercial hub of Connaught Place in the heart of the national capital, and said that a burst pipeline was being repaired. “All four pumps at the location were working. Drain cleaning is ongoing with coordinated efforts by the PWD, MCD, DJB, NDMC, and IFC,” he said. The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for Delhi following the heavy downpour, which disrupted flight operations at IGI Airport. Air India reported delays across several sectors in northern India.