New Delhi:
BJP youth wing workers led by party's Delhi unit president Vijay Goel today courted arrest while protesting at the residence of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in New Delhi demanding release of Delhi's share of water allegedly held back by the state.
Mr Goel and scores of activists of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), including Delhi BJYM chief Gauarav Khari, were taken to Parliament Street police station and were later released.
Earlier, addressing the protesters, Mr Goel said, "The overall water management system has collapsed in Delhi. Delhi has not got its due share from Haryana, and the much-delayed Munak Canal whose cost overruns are phenomenal doesn't have single drop of water despite tall claims made by the Chief Minister during the last one year."
"The fact is that from Munak Canal also, Delhi will only get around 75-80 MGD water. But there will still be shortfall of more than 200 MGD and the government has no plan to fill this gap. The way Congress is trying to project Munak canal as a panacea for Delhi's water crisis is thus misleading," he said.
Mr Goel said that Congress governments in Delhi and Haryana should stop "shadow boxing" at least on sensitive issues like water crisis which affect life of every citizen of Delhi.
"The political acrobatics of Congress which is ruling both the states (Delhi and Haryana) on the issue of water cannot escape the eyes of angry public," he said.
The BJP state unit chief also alleged that every year water crisis hits Delhi in its worst possible form during summers and yet the government has never been ready with any water management plan.
"Knee jerk reactions and cosmetic actions will just not do, Delhi needs a proper water management system so that permanent solutions can be found. If a government has the will then within given resources, better water management is possible. This will take care of water woes permanently," said Mr Goel.
Stating that Delhi has entered into a disaster zone on water front, he said, "Many of these problems could be resolved with better water management which is people-oriented. However, the CM seems to be looking for quick-fix solutions and this approach has resulted in the persistent water crisis."
He alleged that the poor water supply in Delhi is benefiting Tanker Mafia which has become a multi-million rupees industry in the last 15 years.