Rain-related death sparks fresh AAP-BJP clash 

 New Delhi

Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, on Thursday demanded the resignation of Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh and accused the BJP’s “four-engine government” of being directly responsible for the Capital’s repeated flooding and the rising death toll during this monsoon season.

In a letter to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader cited the death of a man on Hansraj Sethi Marg, where a tree collapsed in heavy rain, also critically injuring a girl.

“This is not an ‘act of nature’; it is the result of the absolute lack of monsoon preparedness by your administration,” Ms. Atishi wrote, adding that Delhi’s citizens are forced to wade through flooded streets, dodge collapsing trees, and live in fear during every downpour.

She blamed the PWD for “failing its most basic duty” and demanded that Mr. Singh be sacked immediately. “Nothing short of this will restore even a shred of public faith. The entire city is looking towards you to take action against those responsible for these deaths,” Ms. Atishi said.

‘Mismanaged development’

The BJP hit back sharply. Education Minister Ashish Sood accused the previous AAP government of leaving Delhi “in ruins”, claiming that waterlogging has plagued schools for years. “In Nithari alone, six government schools built before, during, and after their tenure continue to face flooding. Since 2020, whenever waterlogging occurs, students are sent home. Whose government was in power then? It was the so-called ‘father of the education revolution’,” Mr. Sood said.

He alleged that despite repeated complaints, the AAP administration ignored drainage repairs while being “busy selling liquor”. Mr. Sood said 14,214 students are affected today because of “mismanaged development” and years of neglect. The current government, he said, is working to repair the six worst-hit schools and will carry out a city-wide asset mapping of all government schools. “The previous government’s false claims of education and development are being exposed daily, yet shamelessly, AAP leaders try to pin the blame on us,” the Minister said. 

PWD Minister said in a statement that Delhi witnessed more than average rainfall today, yet our PWD teams worked in a mission-mode to ensure traffic movement across the city was restored quickly. On several key stretches, waterlogging was completely cleared within 2-3 hours, ensuring minimal disruption for commuters. “Out of 45 major waterlogging-prone sites in the city, 35 remained completely free from waterlogging today – a clear indication of the progress we have made in rainwater management. These included: Pul Prahladpur RUB, Hanuman Mandir, Bijwasan Underpass, Mahipalpur Underpass, Badli Underpass, Sanjay Enclave, Zakhira Underpass, Azad Bhawan Road, Tilak,” Mr. Singh said.