Dr B Srinivas, Secretary of the National Medical Commission (NMC) said counselling will take place for the allotment of approximately 1.10 lakh MBBS seats.

A ‘comprehensive plan to desilt drains’ in Delhi has become the focus of a bitter spat between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the centre’s rep in the national capital.

Earlier today, sources told news agency PTI that the report, which includes a proposal for a unified authority to desilt and manage 18 main drains emptying into the Yamuna River, has been pending with Saurabh Bhardwaj, Delhi’s Flood Control Minister, since August last year.

Mr Bhardwaj, however, has rejected the claim.

In a post on X he said, “The LG’s office claims the decision is awaited as file is ‘pending with Minister’… they should know it was approved long back”, and provided an order reference number.

“…this will be implemented post-monsoons. Right now, respective agencies have to take care of desilting their drains,” he also said, launching a counter-attack.

LG Office @LtGovDelhi is claiming the decision is awaited as file is pending with Minister.

They should know that file was approved long back.

Even Order has been issued vide F.16(918)/UD/W/2024/021769737/2545 – 2575 dated 29 April, 2024 with the Subject as “Order assigning… pic.twitter.com/SpcCt8XQMN

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) July 29, 2024

Specifically, Mr Bhardwaj has alleged a “conspiracy” against the people of Delhi.

He told reporters that Mr Saxena – who has a fractious relationship with the AAP – had failed to act after corruption charges against government officials tasked with managing city rainwater drains.

He claimed the work of removing silt from drains and sewers – if clogged, they push rainwater and sewage back onto city streets, leading to massive floods – was improperly done by officers from various departments, including the Municipal Corporation that is managed by the Aam Aadmi Party.

In a series of posts on X, Mr Bhardwaj said he had first flagged this issue on February.

“I issued first notice to convene a meeting of all senior officials, including the MCD Commissioner, over de-silting. I directed all departments to have a comprehensive strategy regarding de-silting to avoid waterlogging,” he told the press, stating senior IAS officers were called but did not attend.”

13 Feb 2024
Though not my departments, I called all departments meeting on as early as 13 Feb 2024 for inter-department cordination for desilting of drains & water logging.

None of the Dept Secretaries came for meeting. Even CS didn’t come.

CS was asked to show cause Dept… pic.twitter.com/huhCuZemHC

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) July 29, 2024

“Only executive engineers of departments were present. Since departments were not represented… the Chairman, that is me, expressed displeasure over the same. This is also mentioned…”

Lamenting the lack of seriousness, Mr Bhardwaj also posted screenshots of documents from his desk.

One was dated May 20 – a request to desilt drains. The second was on June 5 – a follow-up to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar who, he said, “did not send desilting report even after 15 days”.

5.6.2024

Because CS did not send desilting report even after 15 days, I again wrote to CS Naresh Kumar asking for status, target dates, milestones for desilting in Delhi by different Dept. pic.twitter.com/spLbbrKeJ8

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) July 29, 2024

Mr Bhardwaj has alleged that on June 6, he received an “absurd” reply from Mr Kumar.

Another screenshot was the list of officials to whom the de-silting report was copied.

The names on the list include the Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor.

“…copy of the order was sent to your Principal Secretary. Still your office gave wrong news to the media. You should take action against Ashish Kundra (the official),” he declared.

LG साब @LtGovDelhi ऑर्डर की पहली कॉपी आपके प्रिंसिपल सेक्रेटरी को भेजी थी। फिर भी आपके ऑफिस ने ग़लत खबर मीडिया को दी। आपको आशीष कुंद्रा पर कार्यवाही करनी चाहिए। pic.twitter.com/tOoN8WKr5t

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) July 29, 2024

Mr Saxena’s office has not responded to the volley of documents from Mr Bhardwaj.

The death of four students amid floods last week – three drowned in the basement of a tuition centre in Rajendra Nagar area, while the fourth was electrocuted in Patel Nagar – has spawned an entirely predictable political squabble Monday, with political parties taking pot shots at each other.

Political Blame Game Between AAP, BJP

Part of that squabble played out in Parliament, where the AAP was attacked by rivals BJP and even had allies Congress, Samajwadi Party, and CPIM (all four are members of the INDIA bloc) asking tough questions about the condition of Delhi’s drainage system and desilting measures.

READ | “Main Opposition Does Not Favour…”: Rajya Sabha Defers Debate

In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had some sharp words for the AAP government.

There is “rampant violation of basic norms” in the national capital, he said.

The BJP has launched a protest of its own. Delhi Police had to use water cannons to disperse agitators – and the party’s Delhi unit boss, Virendra Sachdeva – camped near the AAP office.

How Delhi Coaching Centre Put Lives In Danger

Inquiries so far have suggest multiple lapses by owners and civic authorities.

READ | Month Before Basement Deaths, Student’s SOS Flagged Huge Risk

The coaching centre got a No-Objection Certificate from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in August 2021. The certificate, seen by NDTV, says the basement is to be used for parking and storage.

The coaching centre also secured a similar certificate from the fire department this month.

READ | Delhi Coaching Centre Loses Fire Safety Nod After Basement Tragedy

This document, also accessed by NDTV, claims the building has complied with existing fire safety regulations, and stresses the basement should be used in accordance with building bye-laws.

Both NoCs have now been revoked.

Also, this morning a Junior Engineer with the MCD was sacked and a senior employee suspended. Both worked with the maintenance department for the Karol Bagh Zone.

Seven people, including the owner of the building, have been arrested and face charges that include culpable homicide.

“A Living Hell”

Meanwhile, “living a life of hell…” was the plaintive cry of a student who has written to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud to demand action against city officials and others responsible for the deaths.

The Chief Justice has not yet decided if the letter will be viewed as a petition.

READ | “A Living Hell”: Delhi Student To CJI On Coaching Centre Deaths

The student – Avinash Dubey – flagged poor infrastructure in areas like Rajendra Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar, residents of which often battle floods caused by drainage issues and “negligence” by the Municipal Corporation, and asked for protection of students’ fundamental rights.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Former MP from Kaiserganj and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh – denied a ticket from Uttar Pradesh in this election amid glare over sexual harassment allegations against him — today said he would never get a second chance from the party.  

Back in May, asked if the allegations had cost him a poll ticket, the former MP had said, “My son has got a ticket”. Karan Bhushan Singh has won the constituency — which his father had represented since 2009 — in the general election that followed.

Talking to reporters in Paraspur today, Brij Bhushan Singh said, “The BJP will never give me a chance now. I know the party will not give me a chance. I don’t dream like Mungerilal. Those who want to, can”. 

The former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India has been accused of sexually harassing several women wrestlers. 

Amid a massive row over the allegations and a weeks-long protest by the country’s top wrestlers last year, he was removed from the top post of the Federation. He was not allowed to contest the Lok Sabha election either and his son was fielded instead. 

The trial in the case started last week. Indian Penal Code sections relating to sexual harassment, use of force against a woman and criminal intimidation have been slapped on the heavyweight leader. 

He has pleaded not guilty, denying any wrongdoing. “When I have not committed any mistake, why will I admit it?” he had said.

Today, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had gone on a tour of his former parliamentary constituency in Gonda district of UP. He had made a stopover at Paraspur, where a Samajwadi Party leader, Om Prakash Singh, had been murdered in broad daylight. He had gone there to meet the family members. 

The Yogi Adityanath government, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said, “does not support criminals”. “The police are working on the murder case. I demand financial help from the Chief Minister,” he said.