Friday morning Delhi was woken up by torrential rain, flooding parts of the city and bringing the capital to a virtual halt. In this deluge, numerous members of Parliament were found grappling with severe waterlogging in their homes. In one of the videos going viral on the internet is that of MP from Chandigarh, Manish Tewari wading through knee deep water, with his pants folded up. The caption read: 'On the way to Parliament in the morning.
Tewari wasn't the only one. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor recounted his ordeal, describing waking up to find his entire home submerged under a foot of water. He lamented the damage wrought upon carpets and furniture inside. "Everything on the ground is ruined," he tweeted, attributing the flooding to clogged storm water drains in his neighborhood. Electricity had been cut off early in the morning to prevent potential electrocution.
Despite the setback, Tharoor managed to navigate the flooded streets and reach Parliament on time after authorities pumped water away.
Similarly affected was Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav, whose residence in the Lodhi Estate area was inundated. A video from news agency ANI showed Yadav being carried to his vehicle by staff due to the waterlogged surroundings. "We had to go through all this just to reach Parliament," he remarked, expressing dismay over the significant damage caused to his newly floored bungalow.
Yadav criticized the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for their slow response, citing ongoing efforts since early morning to drain the water.
The flooding also engulfed the residence of Delhi Water Minister Atishi, underscoring the widespread impact of the torrential rainfall.
In a symbolic protest against the AAP government's handling of the situation, Delhi BJP councillor Ravinder Singh Negi rowed an inflatable boat down a flooded street, highlighting the inadequate preparation of Public Works Department drains ahead of the monsoon season.