Indore Tragedy Signals Danger, Delhi Must Stay Alert on Drinking Water: Anurag Dhanda

The Indore water contamination case raises concerns about public health and governance, with the AAP urging central oversight to ensure safe drinking water in Indian cities and to prevent recurrence in other BJP-governed centres.

The deaths and serious illnesses caused by contaminated drinking water in BJP-ruled Indore, Madhya Pradesh, have triggered fresh concern among residents of Delhi and other major cities. Warning that the tragedy is a stark reminder of the risks posed by official negligence, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) urged people to remain vigilant about the water supplied to their homes, saying the lapse seen in Indore could easily be repeated in other BJP-governed urban centres across the country.

AAP National Media In-charge Anurag Dhanda stated, “The BJP’s arrogance is evident from how it treats the very people who elect it. The public has chosen the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. In Indore city, the MP, MLA and councillors are from the BJP, the Municipal Corporation, the Commissioner and the state government are all led by the BJP. Despite having so many engines of power, 14 people died after drinking contaminated water under the BJP government, hundreds are still ill, and the number of patients may rise further.”

He pointed out that when ministers are questioned about the BJP government’s failures in Madhya Pradesh, they resort to abusive language. From the behaviour of BJP ministers, it appears that the deaths of children caused by drinking contaminated water are not an issue at all for the BJP. Human lives have no value for the BJP.

Drawing attention to the situation in the national capital, Anurag Dhanda added, “Now the BJP government has come to power in Delhi as well. The BJP also runs the government at the Centre and in the MCD. The people of Delhi need to be extremely cautious about the water supplied to their homes, because the kind of crisis people face in Indore due to the government’s negligence can happen in any other city too.”

Highlighting the pattern across major cities, he continued, “At present, in all major cities, whether Mumbai or Delhi, the BJP is in power. The kind of negligence they practice has already been seen in Madhya Pradesh. There must certainly be a central agency that can examine drinking water and sewage systems in all these places, so that such a tragedy or accident does not occur in other cities.”

Meanwhile, AAP’s Chief Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar stated, “For nearly two years, people of that ward had been complaining that the water was poisonous and that sewage water was mixed with drinking water. People also said there was acid in the water. Written complaints were submitted stating that the water was poisonous, yet no one woke up. Were those who died not Hindus? Have the screams of those Hindus who died still not reached Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ears, that no accountability has been fixed till now? Who has resigned and who is accountable?”

Contrasting claims of development with ground reality, Priyanka Kakkar said, “On one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about a developed India, and on the other hand, people are dying due to poisonous water and poisonous air. The BJP’s focus is only on the politics of horse-trading, deleting votes, breaking governments, toppling governments, and framing false cases against opposition leaders. When it comes to governance, the BJP has completely failed.”