Delhi flood situation: “Not time for politics,” says Union Minister Nityanand Rai

New Delhi [India]: After Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the Centre did not send NDRF team on time in view of the flood situation in Delhi, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Friday said that everyone should work together to tackle the current situation instead of indulging in politics.

“Everyone should work for tackling the current situation rather than doing politics on it. We are sending the team as per requirement. 15 NDRF teams have been deployed in Delhi.

4,346 people have been rescued and shifted to safer areas. 179 animals have also been rescued,” MoS Rai said. He further slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the capital and said that AAP is doing politics of lies and added that he is worried about Delhi.

“They’re (AAP) doing politics of lies, it is their foundation, it is in their culture, at this time politics of lies should not be done, 15 teams of NDRF have been already deployed and will send more if and when required”, he said.

He further said that the country is watching, adding that, there is no doubt AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj is telling lies.

“Delhi and the country are watching, we are worried about Delhi, there is no need to do politics, NDRF is on alert. As much as Delhi needs, the NDRF team will be deployed here, there is no doubt that he (Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj) is speaking wrong, he is absolutely lying.

NDRF is already on field if Delhi government is doing politics then this is not the time for politics and politics should not be done. NDRF teams have been deployed in Central Delhi, Shahdara, South East Delhi. Four teams in Central Delhi, three teams in North East Delhi, four in South East Delhi and one team has been deployed in Shahdara”, Rai added.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj in a tweet alleged that the central government did not send NDRF team at night even after several requests were made to the officers.

However, the ongoing flooding woes in the national capital brought Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who have been trading barbs in the recent past, together as the two briefed the media jointly on the previaling situation, saying, “We need to work as a team”.

Flanked by CM Kejriwal, ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, L-G Saxena on Friday inspected a flooded stretch near Vikas Bhawan, ITO where a drain regulator was damaged.
The L-G was responding to minister Saurabh Bharadwaj over his allegations against the Centre.

“Thank you, the situation would have been better had the NDRF reached the spot last night itself,” Bharadwaj said.

L-G Saxena said, “I would like to tell you that this is not the time to resport to a blame game or point fingers at each other. Right now, we need to work as a team. I, too, can say a lot of things but this isn’t what we should do at this time.”

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Delhi’s Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Atishi said the water level of the Yamuna was receding gradually at a rate of 0.1 metre and will it take another day for normalcy to be restored.

Atishi said no individual could be blamed for the prevailing situatuion as it is the fallout of incessant and heavy rainfall over North India.