New Delhi: Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Tuesday accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab of indulging in ‘dirty politics’ by restricting water supply to the national capital.
He claimed the conspiracy was aimed at punishing city voters for voting out former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Assembly elections in February.
Talking to mediapersons, Verma said, “For the last one week, Delhi has been receiving less raw water due to the dirty politics of the Punjab government, the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal.”
Kejriwal is angry with Delhi voters who have brought the BJP to power, and to teach them a lesson, his party has cut water supply to the city, he said.
“The Punjab government has refused to follow the instructions of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and went against it by reducing the supply of water to Haryana,” he said, after visiting the Tughlakabad area.
As part of the conspiracy hatched by Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has reduced the water supply to Haryana, which has indirectly led to a cut in supply to Delhi, he said.
Verma said, on average, Delhi receives from Haryana around 980 cusec of water daily. “But on May 1 we got 88 cusec water less, on May 2 we got 119 cusec water less, on May 3 we got 71 cusec water less, on May 4 we got 55 cusec water less, and on May 5 we got 130 cusec water less,” he said.
“Our daily quota of water has been reduced by 15 per cent because the Punjab government and Delhi’s former Chief Minister Kejriwal want to vent his anger and settle scores with voters here,” he said.
“After losing Delhi elections, Arvind Kejriwal has moved to Punjab, from where he is now punishing people of Delhi by cutting off their water supply,” he said.
The anger of the AAP against Delhi voters is getting reflected in dirty politics, and the conspiracy is to leave Delhiites thirsty, he said.
“We will not let this dirty politics succeed. The Union Home Ministry has written to the Punjab Police to withdraw security from dams and give access to officials,” he said.
(IANS)
