On the second day of Delhi Water Minister Atishi’s indefinite fast regarding her demand from Haryana to release more water for Delhi, she on Saturday alleged that people sent by the BJP attempted to disrupt her peaceful Satyagrah.
Atishi has alleged that, “Today some people came to my hunger strike site to create a ruckus, create obstacles and attack me. But I want to tell the BJP that I am following the path of ‘Satyagraha’ taught by Gandhiji, the path of hunger strike taught by him.”
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The senior AAP leader further said that, “I am not going to be afraid of such things, I am not going to stop this ‘Satyagraha’ due to such actions. Till the 28 lakh Delhiites do not get their rightful share of water, this hunger strike will continue, this ‘Satyagraha’ will continue.”
Meanwhile, a group of protestors claiming to be civil defence volunteers arrived at Atishi’s protest venue while AAP leader Sanjay Singh was addressing the gathering.
They started shouting slogans demanding their employment, and further questioned that when a protest can be held for water, is their employment not an equally important issue.
She has also said that there is a huge shortage of water in Delhi, and at least 28 lakh people are not getting water.
I have been on an indefinite fast since Friday to provide them with water, the minister added.
Earlier in the day, she also released a video message where she expressed that, she will not eat anything till Haryana releases more water for the people in the city.
The CPI has also extended its support to the water agitation by the Delhi Water Minister.
CPI leader D Raja reached with his party delegation the protest venue to show their support to Atishi.
In his address at the protest, Raja said that Delhi is going through an unprecedented water crisis, and particularly the poor are facing unimaginable hardships.
He further said that Atishi has taken up the issue and the CPI also extends support and solidarity.
“We are with you in your struggle,” he said and questioned the Union Government as to what it was doing for Delhi, and condemned the Centre for not helping Delhi on this issue.
He further said that PM Narendra Modi should help coordinate with Haryana and solve this problem for Delhi.
Raja also appealed to the Haryana government to release water for Delhi.
Meanwhile, the city’s Water Minister had alleged that the neighboring state of Haryana was not releasing Delhi’s rightful share of water in Yamuna, and also less water was being received by Delhi via Munak Canal.
AAP leader Jasmine Shah, who was also present at the protest venue, claimed that during the last two months, 2000 leaks have been plugged by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
He further raised a question saying if the crisis was due to water leakage, why is the water crisis only happening at present now?
The AAP leader claimed that the Haryana officials have agreed in a meeting with Delhi officials that water is there but they are told not to supply it.
Taking a dig at the ruling dispensation at the centre, he said that such politics had never been witnessed at the time of the disaster, and when people are facing water crisis amid heat wave, he alleged that the BJP MPs are missing and looking the other way.
He alleged that the central government never helped Delhi to get more share of water, and further accused BJP’s Haryana government of stopping 100 MGD of water, the reason why Atishi is sitting on indefinite fast, he added.
