Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday hit back at Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena for holding the AAP government responsible for the city's water crisis, claiming he failed to acknowledge that the shortage was mainly due to BJP-ruled Haryana blocking 100 MGD of water. Bharadwaj also alleged that Saxena was functioning like a "BJP L-G" and not the L-G of Delhi. The Delhi urban development minister, however, agreed with Saxena that governance needs a consistent endeavour to deliver for the people by building consensus. "But we are unable to understand why the L-G does not hold the BJP-led Haryana government to the same yardstick despite being fully aware that the Haryana government has been blocking over 100 MGD of Delhi's rightful share of water for the past many days," he said in a statement. As a constitutional functionary, blaming the ruling party in Delhi of playing politics while "turning a blind eye" to the hard facts of falling water supply to the city by the BJP-led ..
A court here on Saturday extended till July 6 the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar. Kumar is accused of assaulting AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on May 13 at the chief minister's official residence. Kumar was produced through video conferencing before Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal who extended his judicial custody till July 6. Kumar was arrested on May 18. He was sent to police custody for five days the same day by a magisterial court, which observed that his anticipatory bail plea had become infructuous because of his arrest. On May 24, he was sent to four days judicial custody, following which he was again remanded in police custody for three days. An FIR was registered against Kumar on May 16 under various Indian Penal Code provisions, including those related to criminal intimidation, assault or criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe and attempt to commit culpable homicide.
Delhi Water Minister Atishi continued her indefinite fast, which enters the second day on Saturday, over the water crisis in the national capital. In a video message from her 'Jal Satyagrah' venue at Bhogal in south Delhi, Atishi said she will not eat anything till Haryana releases more water for the people in the city, 28 lakh of whom she said were water shortage. The minister sat on indefinite fast on Friday, alleging that Haryana was not releasing Delhi's rightful share of water in Yamuna. She said 110 million gallons per day (MGD) less water was released by Haryana on Friday. "One MGD water provides for 28,000 people. Shortage of 100 MGD water means 28 lakh people are not getting water in Delhi," she said. The Water Minister said that Delhi depends on neighbouring states for water. It receives 1,005 MGD water from neighbouring states through rivers and canals, out of which Haryana provides 613 MGD, she said. In the extreme summer heat faced by Delhi, Haryana has reduced its s
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's release from Tihar jail was blocked by the Delhi high court on June 21 after the ED urged for an urgent hearing
AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making a mockery of the justice system after the Delhi High Court put on hold the trial court order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam. Taking to X, Singh said in a post in Hindi, "Look at the hooliganism of the Modi government, the trial court's order has not yet come, even a copy of the order has not been received, so Modi's ED reached the High Court to challenge which order? What is happening in this country? "Modi ji, why are you making a mockery of the justice system? The whole country is watching you?" the AAP MP said. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the ED in the high court, sought a stay on the trial court order contending that the agency was not given a proper opportunity to argue its case. The ED had arrested Kejriwal on March 21, shortly after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from arr
The Rouse Avenue court had granted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regular bail in Delhi excise case on June 20, requiring a bond of Rs 1,00,000
Haryana minister Abhe Singh Yadav on Thursday said the water scarcity in Delhi was solely due to "internal mismanagement" by the AAP dispensation. Yadav dismissed as "baseless" and "beyond facts" the Delhi government's allegation that the BJP-ruled state is not providing the national capital with the required share of water, as he asserted that Haryana is currently supplying 1,050 cusecs of water to Delhi, exceeding the mandated allocation of 719 cusecs. Yadav, the Minister of State for Irrigation and Water Resources, while speaking in Delhi, said Haryana does not politicise water issues, viewing water as a fundamental necessity. The minister underscored that ensuring water supply to the national capital is a collective responsibility, one which Haryana fulfils without shortfall. Yadav, according to an official statement, said that in response to AAP government's petition filed before the Supreme Court recently, the Haryana government submitted data on its water supply to Delhi ...
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded a Rs 100 crore bribe from the South Group for his party, the Enforcement Directorate claimed on Wednesday while opposing his bail application in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam. The central probe agency told the court that if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been arrayed as an accused in the case, commits a crime, the person in charge of the party will be held culpable. The ED told the court that when former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was made an accused in the case, the AAP was not named as an accused. "Kejriwal demanded bribe. He asked for bribe of Rs 100 crore. Kejriwal asked for funds for the AAP. Kejriwal demanded kickbacks from South Group. You can't say he is not guilty of offence. If AAP commits a crime, then every person in charge of the party will be deemed to be guilty, the ED told Special Judge Niyay Bindu. Now AAP has been made an accused. Kejriwal is responsible for the conduct (of t
The ED urged the court to extend Arvind Kejriwal's judicial custody, saying that it is essential for further investigation in the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy
Swati Maliwal says she was beaten at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's house and then her 'character was assassinated'
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced a protest at Jantar Mantar concerning the NEET controversy today, and a nationwide protest on June 19
Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Monday visited the Wazirabad barrage and appealed to the Haryana government to release water in the Yamuna river. Atishi said the Wazirabad barrage gets water from Haryana which goes to the water treatment plants of Chandrawal, Okhla and Wazirabad. "If no water is received, how will the water treatment plants work? We appeal to Haryana that the people in Delhi are worried and they should release water in Yamuna river, she added.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday joined the political slugfest over the electronic voting machines (EVMs), saying the Supreme Court and the Election Commission need to take a drastic decision on the issue. AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that his party has been raising the incidents of irregularities related to the EVMs for long but were mocked by the BJP. Singh alleged that there were 80 Lok Sabha seats won by the BJP in the recent polls and claimed "if proper counting of votes on these seats happened, the current BJP government will collapse". These 80 seats are in Maharashtra, UP, Bihar and other states, he said. Citing the controversy related to EVM in North West Mumbai Lok Sabha seat, Singh said "The Supreme Court and the Election Commission should now take a strict decision over the EVM issue." A fresh political slugfest has erupted over EVM tampering claims with the Congress and other opposition leaders citing a media report that alleged that a relative of the Shi
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Monday alleged that the water crisis in Delhi has been "deliberately created" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to keep the people of the national capital thirsty. Addressing a press conference here, Singh accused the saffron party of hatching a conspiracy against the residents of the national capital. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP on the allegations. "We believe 'pyase ko paani pilane se zyada punya ka kaam nahi hota' and there is no bigger sin than stopping water," said Singh. "For the last several days, there has been a water crisis in Delhi sponsored by the Bharatiya Janata Party and when I am saying that it is a water crisis sponsored by the Bharatiya Janata Party, I want to tell you that the BJP people want that the people of Delhi do not get water and for this, the BJP people are trying their best to put Delhi in a water crisis by whatever means, whatever conspiracies, whatever methods they can," he alleged. The AAP leader
The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the stand of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the bail plea by AAP volunteer Chanpreet Singh Rayat in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. A vacation bench of Justice Amit Sharma issued a notice to the ED on Rayat's plea seeking regular bail and asked the agency to file a status report. The matter would be heard next on July 2. The ED had arrested Rayat, who allegedly managed cash payments for the AAP's 2022 Goa election campaign, on April 12. It has alleged that the 'South Group' comprising BRS leader K Kavitha, TDP's Ongole MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta, businessman Sarath Chandra Reddy and others paid Rs 100 crore bribe to the AAP for obtaining a prime position in the Delhi liquor market as part of the now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22. Out of these alleged kickbacks, the ED has claimed, Rs 45 crore was used by the AAP to fund its Goa election campaign. The excise polic
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders discussed the results of the Lok Sabha elections and pledged that they would work harder for the next general elections, a party leader said on Thursday. AAP fought at 22 Lok Sabha seats and managed to win just three in Punjab. Despite an alliance with the Congress in Delhi, it lost all the four seats it contested at the hands of the BJP. "AAP definitely got fewer seats than expected, but the game is not over yet. We will come with new energy in the next election," AAP general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said. He said that the decision of the people of Delhi was a top priority for the party. We acknowledged that "there must have been some shortcomings in our hard work" and pledged to work harder to win next time. Pathak said Assembly elections in Haryana and Delhi and by-elections in Punjab were the next goals of the party. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that the top party leaders, including national convener and Delhi Chief Minist
Delhi's Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday asserted the city would not get flooded this time because the Yamuna river will get a clear channel for its flow. Inspecting the ITO Barrage to take stock of the work to desilt the river, he said the Barrage is under the Haryana government's jurisdiction, and a flood happened in Delhi last year "due to blocking of its gates". "Pilot cuts have been made at the places of obstruction. As soon as water flows (with force) through the Yamuna, it will take away the obstructions. The Yamuna will get a clear channel. As the irrigation and flood control minister, I can say there won't be a flood this time," Bharadwaj asserted. Delhi battled one of its worst flood-like situations in several pockets last year because of heavy rain, with more than 25,000 people evacuated from the inundated areas.
AAP-led Delhi government had filed a plea seeking direction to Haryana to release surplus water provided by Himachal Pradesh to mitigate water crisis in the national capital
The Supreme Court on Monday deferred to June 18 the hearing on Punjab AAP MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra's plea challenging his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering probe linked to a bank fraud case. A vacation bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Augustine George Masih adjourned the matter after noting that the AAP MLA had not filed a rejoinder in the case. At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, submitted that the matter is about Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and sufficiency of grounds. He said the issues raised in this case are similar to that of the Arvind Kejriwal matter where judgment is already reserved. Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary, appearing for the Punjab AAP MLA, contended that the issues are not similar and the reason for being remanded is primarily non-appearance. The apex court then sought to know whether pleadings in the matter were complete. On being informed that a ..
The Supreme Court emphasised to the Aam Aadmi Party that delays in handing over the land has hindered the expansion of the Delhi High Court