Latest news with #DelhiCongress
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delhi Congress chief hits out at govt citing DPCC report on Yamuna pollution
NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav on Saturday criticised the Rekha Gupta-led BJP government in the city over the worsening pollution levels in the Yamuna River, calling it a 'grave concern'. Referring to the July pollution report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Yadav said that pollution levels in the Yamuna have worsened since March. This, he said, clearly exposes the BJP's hollow promises on cleaning the river. He alleged that the government has only made tall claims about cleaning the Yamuna after assuming power in Delhi but has taken no concrete action. Instead, it has misled the public by performing symbolic rituals like Yamuna Aarti. 'BJP's poll promise of giving top priority to cleaning the Yamuna has completely fallen apart after the DPCC report. As per clean water standards, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) should be 3 mg/litre or less, dissolved oxygen should be 5 mg/litre or more, and fecal coliform (indicating excreta/organic pollution) should be 500 MPN per 100 ml. Water becomes unusable when it reaches 2,500 MPN,' Yadav said. He added that although the Delhi government allocated `9,000 crore for cleaning the Yamuna and sewage treatment, no visible work has been done in the last six months. No new sewage treatment plants have been built, nor have faulty ones been repaired. 'BJP-ruled states —Delhi, Haryana and UP— are coming together to formulate an action plan to clean the polluted Yamuna, but first the Gupta government should clean the 22 km stretch of the Yamuna running through Delhi, which is the most polluted, while the construction of 12 proposed decentralised STPs is still hanging in suspense,' Yadav said. He questioned how the government plans to operate a cruise boat in the Yamuna by December when the river remains highly polluted.
New Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Assembly Secretariat writes to Congress leader Yadav over remarks on speaker's house
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Legislative Assembly Secretariat has written to Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav over his public statement and media reports alleging excessive expenditure on the renovation of Speaker Vijender Gupta's official residence. Earlier, the Speaker had sought an unconditional apology from Yadav regarding his claim that over Rs 2.35 crore was spent on the residence, including Rs 94.69 lakh on toilets and bathrooms. The Secretariat said the matter has been referred to the Committee of Privileges due to the seriousness and potential breach of privilege. Yadav has been asked to submit written comments and supporting documents within three days for examination by the committee. The communication notes that Yadav's remarks may amount to a breach of privilege of the House and its Presiding Officer, undermining the institution's dignity. 'The Delhi Legislative Assembly reiterates its commitment to constitutional propriety and institutional dignity. Misleading public statements, particularly against the Chair, will be dealt with through legislative procedures,' said the statement.
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delhi speaker demands apology from Congress chief over lavish bungalow allegations
NEW DELHI: Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Monday sought an unconditional apology from Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav, who alleged that more than Rs 2.35 crore had been spent on the Speaker's official residence, bungalow No. 9, Shamnath Marg, including Rs 94.69 lakh solely on the renovation of toilets and bathrooms. In a letter, Gupta stated, 'Regarding your statement alleging exorbitant expenses on the renovation of the Speaker's residence, in which you mentioned that Rs 2.35 crore was spent, including Rs 94.69 lakh on bathrooms and toilets, it is reported that you even referred to the Speaker's residence as 'Shauch Mahal'. You also mentioned the location as 9, Shamnath Marg, which is not the official residence of the Speaker.' The letter further said that the Speaker condemned and completely denied these claims. He added that such statements made to the media without verifying facts should be avoided. 'He has directed me to inform you that you must withdraw your statements and submit an unconditional written apology to him within three days of receiving this letter. He further emphasised that, as a former Member of the Delhi Assembly, you should uphold the dignity of the Speaker's office and not use it for political point-scoring,' the letter added. The Delhi Congress chief had earlier accused BJP leaders of misusing taxpayers' money for a lavish lifestyle, while Delhi residents face unbearable heat, frequent power cuts, and a shortage of drinking water. Yadav claimed the ruling leaders' royal lifestyle is being funded by public money, dubbing the Speaker's bungalow as 'Shauch Mahal,' much like he previously called CM Rekha Gupta's residence 'Phoolkumari Niwas.' Yadav also alleged the use of costly tiles, showers, fittings, and basins, with Rs 94.93 lakh spent on electrical work and Rs 44.82 lakh on other beautification and repairs.
The Print
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Delhi Speaker asks Cong chief to apologise for house expenditure remark; latter sticks to his stance
In a letter addressed to the Congress leader, Gupta's office said the facts stated by him were incorrect. On Sunday, Yadav had alleged that Gupta is renovating his official residence at an expense of Rs 2.35 crore, of which Rs 94.69 lakh is being spent on bathroom and toilets. The Delhi Congress chief had called the Speaker's residence 'Shauchmahal'. New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) The office of Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta has demanded an unconditional written apology from city Congress chief Devender Yadav for his remarks that exorbitant expenditure is being incurred for renovation of Gupta's official residence. Responding to the letter, Yadav said that the facts and figures mentioned by him were 'correct, as the records in our possession indicate'. The communication from Gupta's office said, 'You have mentioned the location of the official residence of the Speaker as 9, Shamnath Marg, which is not his official residence.' It said that Gupta has condemned the statements and 'denied them totally and stated that such statements to the media without ascertaining the facts or truth should be avoided'. 'He has directed me to inform that you should immediately withdraw your statements and submit an unconditional written apology to him within three days of receipt of this correspondence. He has further directed to inform, especially as you are a former member of the Delhi Assembly, utmost care and respect should be accorded to the Office of the Speaker and it should not be dragged to score political points,' the letter read. In response, Yadav said, 'The statement in question has merely raised a legitimate concern regarding the excessive expenditure of public money incurred by certain BJP legislators, including the chief minister'. 'As the Speaker holds a constitutional post, he is expected to exercise caution when spending tax payers' money for the renovation of official residence,' read Yadav's letter shared by the Delhi Congress on X. Yadav reminded Gupta that as the leader of opposition from BJP earlier, he had raised similar concerns and strong objections regarding the renovation of 'Sheeshmahal' by the then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. 'We have raised the issue of expenditure involved in the renovation of the Speaker's official residence in the same spirit of accountability, a responsibility we share as representatives of a responsible national opposition party. I sincerely urge you to review the contents of your letter and verify the facts therein,' Yadav said. The Delhi Congress chief said he was confident that the 'matter would be considered with fairness, objectivity and commitment to transparency that the Office of the Speaker demands'. PTI SLB RUK RUK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
NDTV
07-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Delhi Speaker Junks Rs 94-Lakh Bathroom Makeover Claim, Congress Hits Back
New Delhi: A fresh political face-off has erupted between the Delhi Assembly Speaker and the Congress over the alleged Rs 2.35 crore renovation of the Speaker's official residence, including a reported Rs 94.69 lakh spent on bathrooms alone. The war of words has escalated after Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav dubbed the residence 'Shauchmahal', mirroring the BJP's earlier 'Sheeshmahal' jibe at former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Speaker Vijender Gupta's office, in a formal letter to Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) President Devender Yadav, has demanded an immediate withdrawal of his remarks and an unconditional apology within three days. Calling the allegations "baseless," the letter accused Mr Yadav of misrepresenting facts and undermining the dignity of a Constitutional post for political mileage. The letter also disputed the Congress' claim that the residence in question is located at 9, Shamnath Marg, asserting that it is not the Speaker's official address. It warned that such "false and misleading" statements were unbecoming of a former MLA. Mr Yadav, however, has refused to back down. The DPCC said the figures cited were based on official documents and publicly available records, including the Delhi government's own website, and insisted the concerns raised were valid. "We stand by the facts. If public money is being spent excessively on luxury renovations, the public has a right to know," the Delhi Congress letter said, claiming that the Speaker, who once criticised the former CM's residence renovation as 'Sheeshmahal', should apply the same standards to his own office. The Congress also questioned the Speaker's outrage, asking "Why object to a statement based on government records? Why demand an apology for asking questions of public interest?" The party has framed the issue as one of transparency and accountability. "We have raised the issue of the expenditure involved in the renovation of the Speaker's official residence in the same spirit of accountability responsibility we share as representatives of a responsible national opposition party," their response read.
