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?” He warned that the mounting filth under four months of BJP rule in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has heightened the risk of dengue, chikungunya, and malaria, urging the BJP to move beyond staged pictures and focus on real governance.
MCD LoP Ankush Narang said that the Civil Lines Zone is home to Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh himself, and the Mayor’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.
Ankush Narang pointed out that this is the season of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and malaria, yet filth continues to pile up. “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.
Ankush Narang further highlighted that BJP leader Gulab Singh Rathore is the chairman here, but garbage has been dumped in the area for the past four months—precisely the time since the BJP took control of the MCD. Since then, waste has been accumulating across the city.
The MCD LoP asserted that BJP leaders are not interested in solving the problem and refuse to discuss solutions 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,” Ankush Narang said.
He warned that if the BJP’s cleanliness drive exists only on paper and its leaders simply step out of their cars for a photo-op, nothing will improve. “The BJP must move beyond photo shoots and start real governance. Now that they have a four-engine government in Delhi, they must deliver on the expectations of its people,” said the MCD LoP.
