Ruling BJP, AAP spar over Kalkaji tragedy

The death of a man after a huge tree fell on him and his daughter riding a two-wheeler has led to a political blame game between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Heavy rain lashed the national capital, prompting the Weather Department to issue a ‘red’ alert. The downpour led to severe flooding, waterlogging and uprooting of 65 trees across the city.

Targeting the BJP, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal shared a video of the tragedy on X, accusing the ruling party of ruining Delhi “in just a few months”.

Leader of Opposition Atishi wrote a letter to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta demanding the resignation of Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Verma, alleging negligence in monsoon preparations.

“The tree fell because of waterlogging...we repeatedly wrote to the government for proper desilting. Hundreds of crores were spent, yet there was no preparation,” Atishi said, criticising the BJP’s “four-engine” government.

Tourism Minister Kapil Sharma hit back, calling Kejriwal “shameless” and accusing AAP of mismanaging Delhi for 12 years.

BJP Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva condemned the politicisation of the tragedy, stressing that even a single death is taken seriously by the government. He termed Atishi’s demand for PWD Minister’s resignation as petty politics, pointing out that she had not offered condolences during her tenure when several persons had died in similar incidents.