Delhi CM has directed to ensure adequate water supply in summer: Atishi

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita and cabinet minister Atishi met him in Tihar Jail on Monday, 29 April, with the latter saying that he has directed to ensure that the city's residents do not face water woes during summer.

Sunita Kejriwal, whose application to meet her husband was earlier denied by the Tihar Jail administration, was granted permission for the meeting on Monday, according to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). 

After the meeting, Atishi told reporters that upon being asked about his well-being, Kejriwal told her not to worry about him.

"I asked him how was he doing and how was his health. He told me not to worry about him and his health," she said.

Atishi said he instead asked if schoolchildren were getting books, adding, "He also asked me whether children were facing any difficulty in studies and whether the problem of medicines in mohalla clinics had been resolved."

She also said that Kejriwal asked her to ensure adequate water supply so that people do not face woes during summer.

"He has asked to pay special attention to this matter. He has also given a message for women. He said he will come out soon and has promised that Rs 1,000 honorarium will be given to them soon. A plan for the scheme is being made by him," said Atishi, who holds multiple portfolios, including education and water in the Delhi government.

Presenting the budget for the financial year 2024-25 in March, the Delhi government had announced a monthly honorarium scheme of Rs 1,000 for women aged above 18.

Atishi was also asked about Tihar authorities denying permission to Sunita Kejriwal to meet her husband.

"This is BJP's dictatorship. You will form new rules. Two people are allowed to meet in one go. We had permission to meet him but all of a sudden they refused. What conspiracy is this? You want to harass him. Such dictatorship did not happen even during the British rule. Political prisoners were treated with respect," the senior AAP leader said.

She charged that the Central government has "such hatred" for Kejriwal that they are making new rules.

"When our lawyers raised the issue (about denial of permission to Sunita), the authoritarian government had to take a step back and grant permission," she claimed.

On Sunday, the AAP had said that the jail authorities had denied the chief minister's wife permission to meet him, a charge refuted by the prison authorities.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann will meet the AAP supremo on Tuesday. This will be his second meeting with his Delhi counterpart. He had last met Kejriwal on 15 April along with the party's Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak.

Kejriwal was arrested on 21 March in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case. He is in judicial custody till 7 May.