Delhi minister suspends engineer over poor drainage issues

The Public Works Department (PWD) Minister, Parvesh Sahib Singh, has suspended an executive engineer from the East Delhi division. This decision came after he found a badly maintained drainage line near the Akshardham Temple in Patparganj. During his inspection, Singh criticized government officials, saying they have become "thick-skinned" over the ten years of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rule. His comments sparked backlash from AAP leaders. Atishi, a senior AAP leader, accused Singh of mistreating public servants. She pointed out that the same officials who were praised before are now being criticized. She questioned the sudden change in their performance just one month into the new government. Atishi also raised concerns about alleged demands for kickbacks from BJP ministers. She claimed that officials have reported being pressured to give a 10% cut on all projects, or they face suspension. Singh's remarks and AAP's response highlight the ongoing tensions between the ruling BJP and the opposition. In reply, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva challenged Atishi to either apologize or face legal consequences for her allegations.