In a bold move to address Delhi’s escalating water crisis, Water Minister Atishi has initiated the ‘Paani Satyagraha,’ a hunger strike demanding the city’s rightful share of water. This protest has seen senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh sharply criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that since the election of seven BJP MPs by Delhi’s populace, the Prime Minister has intentionally curtailed the city’s water supply. The AAP Rajya Sabha MP pointed out that the BJP-led Haryana government withheld Delhi’s water and condemned the indifference of BJP leaders, even as Delhiites suffer in the scorching heat. Minister Atishi’s protest highlights the urgent need for support from Delhi’s residents in what AAP frames as a fight for their fundamental rights.
Addressing the ‘Paani Satyagraha’ started by Delhi Atishi, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that there is a belief in our country that there is no greater virtuous act than providing water. In this scorching heat, we keep water at our homes for small birds. Our society believes that no living creature should remain thirsty and whatever possible should be done for this. But there is so much cruelty and ruthlessness within the BJP that they are making people in the country’s capital Delhi yearn for every drop of water.
The AAP Rajya Sabha MP continued, stating, “Water arrangements have been made for every state in the country. The distribution of river water is decided as to how much water each state will get. This thing is not hidden from anyone, rather the amount of water to be received by every state is already decided. Similarly, Delhi’s water comes from Haryana and Haryana gets this water from Punjab. The AAP government of Punjab gave drinking water to the Haryana government. Therefore, it was the responsibility of the Haryana government to further supply water to Delhi.”
“There is not much agriculture in Delhi, people here use water for drinking and their daily needs. But for the last several months, Water Minister Atishi has had to request the Central Government, LG BJP and the Haryana government to give the people of Delhi their share of water. What is the crime of the people of Delhi? We are not asking for more water from you, we are only asking for our share of water,” he added.
Shri Sanjay Singh stated that Delhiites made the BJP win all seven seats in the Lok Sabha elections, but in return, the BJP and the Prime Minister cut off the water supply to the people of Delhi. He ordered his former MP Ramesh Bidhuri and party workers to break the pipeline, vandalize the Delhi Jal Board office and beat up the employees. PM Modi and BJP have given the order that the people of Delhi should not get water. Former BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri along with his associates vandalized the Delhi Jal Board office and beat up the employees. BJP members want the employees of the Delhi Jal Board not to work and the water supply of the people of Delhi should be cut off.
The Senior AAP Leader mentioned that in the 2013 assembly elections, the people of Delhi formed Shri Arvind Kejriwal’s government for 49 days. In these 49 days, he did a great job, after which the public gave him 67 out of 70 seats. At the same time, in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the people of Delhi made all seven BJP MPs win. Shri Arvind Kejriwal’s government provided facilities like free electricity, water, education, treatment, bus travel and free pilgrimage in Delhi. He worked day and night for the people of Delhi. But in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the people of Delhi made all seven BJP MPs win.
“In the 2020 assembly elections, the people of Delhi once again elected Shri Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister and gave 62 seats. He kept all the facilities of free electricity, water, education and health running in Delhi. During this time, he built many great government schools and Mohalla Clinics in Delhi. But in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the people of Delhi again made BJP MPs win all seven seats,” he added.
The AAP MP further added that PM Modi put the Chief Minister of Delhi, who works for the people, in jail in a fake case. They have no evidence against Shri Arvind Kejriwal. This is happening for the first time in the history of the country when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of a dictatorial government threw the country’s justice and law and order into the dustbin and went to the higher court without the written decision of the lower court. Even before the lower court uploaded the order, the ED went to the High Court to get a stay on the bail. Crores of people in the country are looking towards the judiciary. We hope that the High Court will do justice. It is clear from the trial court’s decision that Shri Arvind Kejriwal is completely innocent. This entire case is fake.
The Senior AAP Leader stated that on one hand, Delhi’s Water Minister is fighting for the water of the people of Delhi. Our leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy CM Shri Manish Sisodia, and Shri Satyender Jain are in jail. I was also kept in jail for 6 months. Now they are making the people of Delhi yearn for water. Today Ms. Atishi is on a hunger strike for Delhi’s water. AAP workers sitting in every corner of the country have to support us in this fight. Because when the right is not given, then one has to raise a voice for it on the road and in the Parliament. The BJP government of Haryana has stopped 100 MGD of water equivalent to the drinking water of 28 lakh people of Delhi. They are continuously reducing it further. Today they have stopped 120 MGD of Delhi’s water.
“This is the fight of the people of Delhi and you have to support your daughter Atishi in this. We have to get our rightful water from the Haryana government. The Prime Minister of the country talks about ‘Mutton, Machhli, Mangalsutra’. But under his nose, the double-engine government of BJP in Haryana stopped the water of 28 lakh people in Delhi but he did not say a word. Delhiites elected all his seven MPs, but today they are missing. Our MLAs went to meet the Union Jal Shakti (Water Resources) Minister, but he did not have time to pay attention to the water problem in Delhi. After the court’s order, we hope that CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal will also join this fight,” Shri Sanjay Singh concluded.
