Monsoon’s first spell in Delhi early Friday inundated the most posh areas of the city alike, including the Lutyens’ Delhi which is home to several ministers and MPs, giving them a hard time reaching Parliament for the 18th Lok Sabha session.
From braving the flood-like situation with rolled up trousers and carrying shoes in their hands to being carried up by aides, the political figures opted for different and peculiar ways to reach Parliament.
Taking a dig at the situation, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said he “wouldn’t be able to make it to Parliament without a boat”.
Sharing visuals of waist deep waterlogging outside his residence, the minister wrote on X, “This is the corner just outside my home in Lutyens’ Delhi. Woke up to find my entire home under a foot of water — every room. Carpets and furniture, indeed anything on the ground, ruined.
“Apparently the storm water drains in the neighbourhood are all clogged so the water had no place to go. And they switched off the electricity since 6 am for fear of electrocuting people. Warned my Parliament colleagues that I might not make it there without a boat. But the city managed to pump water out of the roads and I did arrive in time,” he said.
In another post in which he shared a video of a road towards AIIMS where cars were seen completely submerged in water, and trucks and buses barely visible, he wrote, “Now on my way to the airport to fly to my constituency for the weekend as usual. This was our usual route, which we avoided today.” Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena took stock of the situation and ensured speedy action to deal with the issue, Mr Tharoor claimed.
Now on my way to the airport to fly to my constituency for the weekend as usual. This was our usual route, which we avoided today!! pic.twitter.com/2XpdRfSBdK
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 28, 2024
“Amazed and impressed that this tweet elicited, within minutes, a phone call from the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi himself! VK Saxena was courteous and responsive and explained the constraints on effective action arising from the division of responsibilities between Union and State Governments.
“He does understand the principal problem lies in the failure to clear clogged drains regularly and pledged to do everything in his power to ensure this is done before the next major shower. Hats off to a conscientious civil servant,” he wrote.
Amazed and impressed that this tweet elicited, within minutes, a phone call from the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi himself! Shri VK Saxena was courteous & responsive and explained the constraints on effective action arising from the division of responsibilities between Union and… https://t.co/GdaDTwEkxJ
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 28, 2024
Congress MP from Chandigarh Manish Tiwari posted his video while heading for Parliament. He was seen carrying his shoes in his hands and rolled up his trousers while walking through the accumulated water inside in the premises of his residence.
“On the way to Parliament in the morning,” he captioned the video.
On the way to Parliament in the morning pic.twitter.com/MtjSl3LUzs
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) June 28, 2024
In a photo shared on social media, the lawn of his residence was seen having turned into a pool due to the heavy rains.
Rain water also accumulated inside the premises of Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Ramgopal Yadav’s residence at Lodhi Estate. The MP, dressed in white kurta-pyjama, had to be carried with the support of two people to his car to help him leave for a meeting.
AAP leader and Delhi water minister Atishi’s residence at Mathura road was also inundated following the heavy rains that lashed Delhi in early hours of the day.
On Friday, a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address was scheduled for both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
