Manoj Tiwari defends Shekhawat over 'Delhi's water quality better than European standards' statement

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Sunday said that Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat's statement that Delhi's water quality is better than European standards was based on what Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apprised him.

Defending Shekhawat, Delhi BJP chief Tiwari told ANI, "He is a very able minister and as far as I know Shekhawat made this comment when he was in a programme with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. So whatever Kejriwal told him, he believed at that time."

Tiwari said that he will be sending a report to the Union Minister to apprise him about the actual condition of water in the national capital.

"Now we are sending a report to Gajendra Shekhawat that tells about the condition of drinking water," Tiwari said, adding, "This report gives us an understanding of the shortfalls in every sample taken. This report suggests shortfalls in samples which shows that drinking water in Delhi is not fit for drinking."

Hitting out at Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is also the chairman of Delhi Jal Board, Tiwari said, "This water is provided under the chairmanship of Arvind Kejriwal. I placed this report before media so that Kejriwal explains why he is disseminating diseases in the name of providing water."

"Our Sankalp under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to provide clean drinking water in every tap of the national capital by 2024," he continued.

As per media reports, last month, Shekhawat had said that Delhi's water quality was better than European standards, a day after his cabinet colleague Ram Vilas Paswan had raised questions about its potability.