Meenakshi Lekhi Emphasizes Arvind Kejriwal's Accountability Before Accusing Others Of Responsibility

During a press conference, Union Minister of State, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi, criticized Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, holding him responsible for the flood situation in Delhi. Lekhi accused Kejriwal of neglecting his responsibilities and exploiting disasters for political gain. She demanded immediate financial assistance for over 25,000 individuals who were forced to sleep on the roadside due to the floods.

Lekhi also recalled Kejriwal's actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming that he had frequently demanded assistance from the central government while failing to make adequate arrangements at the state level. She provided details about the water released from the Hathini Kund barrage into the Yamuna River since 1978, stating that although Delhi witnessed larger water volumes in 2013 and 2019, the current flood situation occurred with a lower volume of 3.6 lakh cusecs.

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Highlighting the issue of silt accumulation in the river, Lekhi noted that desilting had not been carried out adequately. She referred to Kejriwal's tweet, in which he admitted that the silt was being extracted using a compressor and a hydra crane was being used to open the gates. Lekhi demanded a thorough investigation into the expenditure of Rs 6,800 crore by the flood control department for Yamuna cleaning. She also questioned the absence of meetings of the Apex Committee, headed by Kejriwal himself, which focuses on Yamuna cleaning, and highlighted his absence from the recent meetings.

Lekhi emphasized that the lack of desilting and the mismanagement of the flood department's budget were the main reasons for the floods in Delhi. She mentioned that despite the preparation of a drainage plan by IIT Delhi in 2018, Kejriwal had not acted upon it. She further claimed that there had been no master plan in place for nine years, and there was a lack of transparency regarding the utilization of funds. Lekhi concluded by asserting that Kejriwal should take responsibility for his actions before blaming others.