Following allegations by Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj that the Centre failed to send an NDRF team in time due to the flood situation in Delhi, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said on Friday that everyone should work together to address the current situation rather than engaging 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 also blasted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the city, saying that AAP is engaging in deceptive tactics and that he is concerned 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 went on to say that the country is watching and that there is no doubt AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj is lying.
“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.
In a tweet, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the central government did not deploy an NDRF team at night despite multiple requests to the officers.
However, the continued flooding in the national capital drew Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena together, as the two briefed the media jointly on the previous situation, saying, “We need to work as a team.”