NEW DELHI: BJP’s much-hyped cleanliness drive in Delhi is nothing more than a photo-op, charged MCD Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ankush Narang after inspecting heaps of garbage and waterlogging in Civil Lines Zone on Wednesday. Standing in Ward 11 of Timarpur—home turf of Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh—Ankush Narang said, “If the Mayor cannot keep his own area clean, how will he clean all of Delhi?”
The LoP warned that stagnant water and piles of garbage across Civil Lines Zone are fuelling the risk of dengue, chikungunya, and malaria. “Stagnant water & piles of garbage across Civil Lines zone are fuelling risk of dengue, chikungunya, and malaria,” he said.
Narang pointed out that Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh’s official residence lies within this ward, which also falls under the Timarpur Assembly constituency. “Raja Iqbal Singh is not only the Mayor but also the councillor from Timarpur. Yet, the state of Timarpur remains appalling. The BJP had announced a cleanliness drive from August 1 to August 31, launched by CM Rekha Gupta, with the Mayor making grand promises. However, within the Mayor’s own ward, garbage is strewn everywhere, water is stagnant, and silt is lying around,” he noted.
He also criticised the BJP’s four-month tenure in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, saying the city’s garbage problem has worsened. “BJP has been in power in MCD for past four months, and since then, Delhi’s filth & garbage problem has only worsened,” Narang stated.
The LoP added that BJP leader Gulab Singh Rathore is the chairman here, but garbage has been dumped in the area for months. “If Raja Iqbal Singh cannot even keep his own home clean, how will he make Delhi garbage-free? The Mayor should first clean his own house before attempting to clean the city. All he does is pose for photos,” he said.
Narang alleged that BJP leaders are uninterested in resolving the crisis and unwilling to engage with the opposition. “If the Mayor cannot clean the ward where he lives, how will he clean all of Delhi? Removing this garbage is not a difficult task, yet waste continues to pile up in Burari, Majlis Park, and across the city. Slowly, Delhi is turning into a dumping ground,” he warned.
Calling on the BJP to shift focus from image-building to actual governance, Narang said, “The BJP must step out of photo-ops & focus on governance, delivering on expectations of Delhi’s citizens.”
