Police in India used water cannons to disperse people protesting the lack of access to clean water in Delhi.
Leading members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were also part of the protest, which saw people attempting to cut the water supply to the home of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Chairman Satyendar Jain's house.
The DJB oversees the local water supply in India's capital and Jain is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which governs Delhi. On Monday, Delhi Police reacted to the water supply protest outside Jain's house by spraying them with water cannons.
The BJP also threatened that workers would cut off the supply to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's home if the crisis wasn't resolved within two days, India Today reported.
"We used a JCB machine to remove the waterline outside Jain's residence. We will cut the water connection to Kejriwal's residence, too, if the Delhi government fails to resolve the water crisis being faced by the people in the next two days," Delhi BJP media head Navin Kumar said, via NDTV.
"The police used water cannons and detained our men during the protest."
Delhi: Police use water cannon against Bharatiya Janata Party workers protesting against Delhi government over water crisis pic.twitter.com/mfl86Mo9Ru
— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2021
"Despite tall promises by the government of tap water in every household, almost every area in Delhi is facing water scarcity. And for areas that are getting water supply, there are constant complaints about the quality of water supplied," Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta said, via The Indian Express.
The BJP claimed that a number of people were injured as police fired the water cannons and charged at the protesters.
A senior police officer denied the claims, telling The Indian Express that around 300 to 400 protesters were blocked from gaining entry into the residence. Around 10 protesters were detained and released, with no one sustaining injuries, the officer said.
The protesters arrived after workers from the AAP allegedly damaged the water connection to Gupta's home in Patel Nagar during a protest, as demonstrators accused the neighboring Haryana government—which is ruled by BJP—of not providing the capital with its share of water.
Politicians and workers linked to the BJP staged a day long-protest on Monday over the apparent poor water supply being provided to Delhi.
"People of Delhi are today totally distressed with the Kejriwal government and despite making repeated complaints to Delhi Jal Board, many colonies including Patel Nagar are not getting water supply for over a month now. People living here are compelled to buy water," said Gupta.
