New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to the lieutenant governor saying cabinet minister Atishi will hoist the national flag in his place at the city government’s Independence Day function on August 15, the AAP said on Wednesday.

Mr Kejriwal is currently lodged in Tihar jail in connection with corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

“Mr Kejriwal has written to (Lieutenant Governor VK) Saxena from jail saying that Atishi will hoist the tricolour in his place on August 15,” the AAP said.

Every year, the Delhi government’s Independence Day function is held at Chhatrasal Stadium and Kejriwal addresses the gathering. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Delhi Minister Atishi has been hospitalised after her health deteriorated due to her indefinite hunger strike over the water crisis in the national capital, her party said on Tuesday.

In a post on ‘X’, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the 43-year-old water minister was admitted to the emergency ICU at Delhi’s Lok Nayak Hospital after her blood sugar level dropped to 36. 

“Her blood sugar level dropped to 43 at midnight and to 36 at 3 AM, after which LNJP Hospital doctors advised immediate hospitalization. She has not eaten anything for the last five days,” the AAP said and posted pictures of Ms Atishi being taken to the hospital.

“She’s been admitted in the emergency ICU at LNJP. We pray for her speedy recovery,” it added.

Water Minister Atishi’s health deteriorates

Her blood sugar level dropped to 43 at midnight and to 36 at 3 AM, after which LNJP Hospital doctors advised immediate hospitalization. She has not eaten anything for the last five days and is on an indefinite hunger strike… pic.twitter.com/nl5iTfnwnT

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) June 24, 2024

Ms Atishi, who began her hunger strike on June 21 amid a prolonged heatwave in Delhi, has demanded the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Haryana release water for the national capital. She has accused Haryana of depriving nearly 28 lakh people of Delhi by releasing 100 million gallons per day (MGD) less water.

ALSO READ | Amid Delhi Water Crisis, AAP’s Appeal To Haryana On “Humanitarian Ground”

“There are 2.8 million people in the city who are aching for just a drop of water,” she said on Monday, the fourth day of her fast.

“My blood pressure and sugar levels are dropping and my weight has gone down. Ketone level is very high which can have harmful effects in the long run,” she said in a video message posted on her official X account.

अनिश्चितक़ालीन अनशन का चौथा दिन- जलमंत्री आतिशी का दिल्लीवालों के लिए संदेश

-Posted by Team Atishi#PaaniSatyagrah4thDaypic.twitter.com/Fc8hkdjtXB

— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) June 24, 2024

No matter how much my body suffers, I will continue the fast till Haryana releases water, the AAP minister said.

Atishi Lost 2 Kg In 4 Days: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday said that Atishi has lost about 2 kg weight in the four days of her indefinite fast.

In a statement, the party said, “Water Minister Atishi’s weight is decreasing unexpectedly. Before sitting on hunger strike on June 21, her weight was 65.8 kg which has come down to 63.6 kg on the fourth day of the hunger strike. That is, her weight has decreased by 2.2 kg in just four days,” the statement said.

ALSO READ | Atishi, Raghav Chadha Meet Arvind Kejriwal In Jail, Discuss Water Crisis

The party also said that her blood sugar level has decreased by 28 units on the fourth day as compared to the first day of the hunger strike.

Earlier on Sunday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena held a meeting with a delegation of AAP leaders and said that Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has assured that he will look into whether his state can provide extra water to the city.

New Delhi:

Delhi Minister Atishi has been admitted to the hospital after her health condition deteriorated as she was on an indefinite hunger strike against the Haryana government for not releasing 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of water thus creating water crisis in the national capital.

Atishi has been admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital in the national capital in the early hours of Tuesday.

Atishi’s indefinite hunger strike entered its fifth day on Tuesday. She said that Haryana is not releasing Delhi’s share of water.

#WATCH | Delhi Water Minister Atishi being taken to LNJP hospital due to deteriorating health.

Atishi has been on an indefinite hunger strike since the last four days claiming that Haryana is not releasing Delhi’s share of water. pic.twitter.com/BZtG4o9ThS

— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2024

Earlier on June 22, Atishi started her indefinite hunger strike protesting for Haryana to release Delhi water share.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said doctors have advised Atishi to be admitted to a hospital in view of her deteriorating health but she is fighting for Delhi’s rightful share of water by “risking her life”.
According to the AAP press release, a health checkup done on the minister revealed that her blood pressure and sugar levels dropped drastically.

The speed with which Atishi’s blood sugar level and blood pressure have dropped has been described by doctors as dangerous, said AAP.

Water Minister Atishi, who is on an indefinite hunger strike to ensure the water rights of 28 lakh Delhiites, has said that her indefinite hunger strike will continue till the Haryana government provides the water rights of Delhiites and till the gates of Hathnikund Barrage are not opened, said AAP

The AAP has alleged that the neighbouring state of Haryana is supplying 100 million gallons per day (MGD) less water every day, which has severely affected the lives of 28 lakh people in Delhi, adding to the problem of water shortage.

The issue of water shortage arose with the high temperatures and heat waves in the national capital.

The people of Delhi have been counting on water tankers to avail their daily requirements of water.

Amid soaring temperatures, these scenes have become a daily occurrence in many areas of the national capital since the start of the summer season this year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

In a setback for Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi High Court paused his release order in a corruption case related to the Delhi Liquor Policy until Enforcement Directorate’s petition is heard. The ED today challenged Mr Kejriwal’s bail in the case, just hours before his release from Tihar jail. 

The ED mentioned its petition challenging the trial court order for an urgent hearing before a bench of Justices Sudhir Kumar Jain and Ravinder Dudeja, which said the case file will come to it in 10-15 minutes and after that it will hear the matter.

The high court said till then the trial court order shall not be acted upon.

Mr Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, and Aam Aadmi Party leaders had planned to visit Tihar Jail at 4 pm today to greet the Delhi Chief Minister.

Yesterday, a Delhi court ordered Mr Kejriwal’s release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh but imposed certain conditions before granting him the relief, including that he would not try to hamper the investigation or influence the witnesses.

The ED arrested Mr Kejriwal on March 21 over money laundering allegations while framing the Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped after the Lieutenant Governor raised red flags. The ED has alleged the money Mr Kejriwal got from the liquor sellers was used to fund the party’s campaign in Goa since he is the convenor of the AAP.

New Delhi:

Delhi’s Water Minister Atishi on Monday appealed Haryana government to release the water and solve the problems of the people of Delhi amid the escalating water crisis and sweltering heat.

Addressing the media persons, Ms Atishi said, “Today we are here at Wazirabad barrack. Water from here is sent to various water treatment plants including Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Okhla. Currently, no water is being released into the Wazirabad barrage. The water level has stepped so low that now the river bed is visible. Again, we are appealing to the Haryana government to release the water and solve the problems of the people of Delhi.”

Ms Atishi also informed that the senior officials and additional chief secretaries level officers from the Delhi Government will meet the officials of the Haryana Government amid the escalating water crisis and sweltering heat.

Ms Atishi conveyed, “The senior officials and additional chief secretaries level officers from the Delhi government will depart for Haryana on Tuesday to meet the ‘Irrigation Department’.

She further urged the Haryana Government to release the water in Yamuna so that Delhi’s public can be relieved.

Delhi Water Minister said, “Till the time Haryana doesn’t release water into the Yamuna, water shortage will continue in Delhi. Munak Canal is receiving very little water and on the other hand, Wazirabad Barrage is receiving no water. The water from Yamuna goes to water treatment and is then resent to Delhi’s public after re-treatment. But there is no water in Yamuna, the reason why the supply is halted. I can just stand before the Haryana government with folded hands and appeal to save the lives of Delhi’s public.

She further conveyed that the maintained water level is due to the recycled water that is being sent by the plant to the barrage.

Quoting the data, she said, “According to the data of reports of the last five years, the water level in Wazirabad Barrage is around 674.5 feet and it has now reached 668 feet. It’s 668 ft because we send some recycled water from plants for its efficiency, otherwise, we could have spotted only river beds. Also, the water level in Munak Canal is also around 902-904 cusecs.”

She further stated, “It’s very common that if the water from the source is disrupted, then the water supply will eventually be halted.”

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini on Monday took a potshot at Delhi’s government for neglecting and mismanaging the issue of water supply. He stated that Haryana is providing an adequate amount of water to the national capital.

Addressing media persons, Haryana CM said, “We are providing them sufficient water. First, the AAP government should do some introspection on themselves. They are more focused on corruption rather than fulfilling its promises to the public. They should focus on implementing developmental schemes for the public of Delhi rather than doing corruption.”

Taking it further, Mr Saini stated, “They have been running the government for the last 10 years, they should have worked on the water distribution system instead of blaming another state for the water supply. We (Haryana) are providing more than sufficient water to them. Delhi’s public is ours too if they suffer, we also suffer. But the way their government lied to the public by not providing any facilities or building an effective system due to corruption, I think Delhi’s public should give a befitting reply to them.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A video of Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi is going viral on social media platforms with a claim that she allegedly talked about the AAP government’s decision to cancel the power subsidy scheme in the national capital.

In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that an edited version of an old video dating back to April 2023 was shared on social media with the false claim.

Claim

A Facebook user shared on May 26 a video of Delhi Minister Atishi, in which she was heard saying that the AAP government had decided to cancel the power subsidy scheme in the national capital. Meanwhile, the text running on the video read that ‘free electricity ends in Delhi’.

The caption of the video read, “लो भाई उतर गया बुखार people who voted for freebies deserved this. Freebies are a sure recipe for economic disaster”

An English translation of the caption read, “The fever is gone. People who voted for freebies deserved this. Freebies are a sure recipe for economic disaster.”

Here is the link and archive link to the post and below is a screenshot of the same:

“The power subsidy for 46 lakh families in the national capital ends today, which means from tomorrow subsidized electricity bills will not be provided. Those previously receiving zero bills will see an increase, and those with 50 per cent subsidy will face higher bills,” Atishi says in the video.

Investigation

Starting the investigation, the Desk ran the video through InVid Tool Search and found several keyframes. On running one of the keyframes through Google Lens, the Desk found several posts carrying the same video with similar claims. 

Three such posts can be viewed here, here, and here and their archived versions can be found here, here, and here respectively.

The video was widely shared on X as well. Three such videos can be found here, here, and here and their archive versions can be seen here, here, and here respectively.

The Desk noticed one of the comments on the posts which mentioned that the video was old.

Taking a cue from this, the Desk conducted a customised keyword search on Google and came across an X post by the official handle of Aam Aadmi Party on April 14, 2023.

The caption of the post read, “LG ने दिल्ली की मुफ़्त बिजली रोकी
46 लाख परिवारों, किसानों, वकीलों और 1984 दंगा पीड़ितों को FREE Bijli मिलनी बंद हो जाएगी
Delhi Govt की बिजली Subsidy की File LG लेकर बैठ गए हैं, Tata, BSES ने चिट्ठी लिखी—उनके पास सब्सिडी की सूचना नहीं आई तो वो Billing शुरू करेंगे”

An English translation of the caption read, “LG stopped free electricity in Delhi
46 lakh families, farmers, lawyers and 1984 riot victims will stop getting free electricity.
LG has taken the file of Delhi Govt’s electricity subsidy, Tata, BSES wrote a letter – If they do not get information about subsidy, they will start billing.”

Here is the link and archive link to the post and below is a screenshot of the same:

The Desk found that this was the complete version of Atishi’s speech. Below is a combination image, comparing visuals of the two videos:

While watching the extended video, the Desk found that the viral video was clipped from the timestamp from 0:14 minutes and 0:51 minutes. Atishi can be heard saying that the government needs to cancel the subsidy due to LG’s pending decision.

In the extended video, Atishi says, “Today I am going to hold a press conference on a very serious issue. An issue which is a topic of concern for 46 lakh families in Delhi. From today, the electricity subsidy for 46 lakh families will be stopped which the government of Arvind Kejriwal gives to the people of Delhi.”

Further in the video, she says, “This means that from tomorrow, the consumers will not get a subsidy on the electricity bills. So, the people who used to get zero bills, from tomorrow they will get electricity at increased prices, people who used to get 50 per cent subsidy will also get electricity at increased prices.” Atishi then elaborates on the reasons behind the subsidy withdrawal.

The Desk then conducted a customised keyword search and came across a video report published by the Times of India on April 14, 2023.

The title of the report read: “Delhiites not to get subsidised electricity bills from tomorrow; 46 lakh families to be impacted”.

Here is the link to the report.

Subsequently, the Desk found that a year-old video of Atishi was clipped and shared on social media as recent with false claims.  

CLAIM

Delhi Minister Atishi announced the withdrawal of the power subsidy scheme in the national capital.

FACT

An old and clipped video of Atishi was shared as recent on social media.

CONCLUSION

Several social media users shared a video of Delhi minister Atishi’s announcement discontinuation of power subsidy by the AAP government in the national capital. In its investigation, the Desk found that an old video of Atishi was clipped and shared as recent on social media with false claims.

(This story was originally published by PTI, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective.)

New Delhi:

Delhi’s ruling AAP – locked in a political row with the BJP over Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest and assault allegations by Swati Maliwal against his aide – is on the defensive yet again, this time after the Enforcement Directorate alleged the party received Rs 7 crore from donors in Canada, the United States, the Middle East, New Zealand, and Australia between 2014 and 2022.

A furious AAP leader Atishi hit back at the claim Monday evening, declaring herself “very angry with (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi) and accusing the BJP – which she said is “clearly losing all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and Punjab – of orchestrating political attacks via the federal agency.

“After the failure of the liquor scam and the Swati Maliwal case, now the BJP has brought this case (back)… this clear shows BJP is losing the twenty seats of Delhi and Punjab. (But) all this is not going to work. This is not the ED’s action… but the BJP. I know I am very angry with Modi,” Atishi said.

The Delhi PWD Minister pointed out the charges against her party stem from a case that is 11 years old, and one to which “all answers have been given to ED, Central Bureau of Investigation, Home Ministry, and Election Commission”. “This is a conspiracy by Modi to defame AAP,” Atishi raged.

“BJP does this before every election… many such false allegations will be made over the next four days (before Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats vote, all of which were won by the BJP last time),” she said.

AAP Got Illegal Foreign Funds, Claims ED

Earlier today ED sources told NDTV the AAP’s receipt of foreign funds between 2014 and 2022 violated provisions of the FCRA, or Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. The law says parties cannot take foreign funds.

According to the agency, many of the donors recorded identical passport, credit card, and mobile phone numbers, as well as e-mail IDs. A confidential report to the Home Ministry, which has been leaked, indicates that 155 people living abroad donated Rs 1.02 crore on 404 occasions.

The ED has claimed each donation is linked to one of only 55 passports, and that the AAP, to avoid restrictions, hid donor identities and routed the funds directly into an account with IDBI Bank Ltd.

This alleged breach of the law came to light, agency sources have said, during inquiries into a drug smuggling case involving former AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who is now with the Congress.

Documents seized in a raid of his home contained information on the donors, the ED has alleged. Some of the funds were allegedly siphoned by other AAP leaders for personal use.

AAP’s 2013 Foreign Funds Case

This is not the first time the AAP has been accused of receiving foreign funds.

As far back as 2013 – when the Congress-led UPA government was in power – the AAP was linked to foreign funding. Mr Kejriwal had then said the Congress, now its ally under the INDIA umbrella, is “scared of the AAP” and dared it to also probe foreign funds received by itself and the BJP.

READ | AAP Did Not Get Illegal Foreign Funds: Centre To High Court

That same year the Association for Democratic Reforms approached the Delhi High Court claiming the BJP and Congress had received tens of crores via Indian subsidiaries of foreign companies.

READ | Plea For CBI Probe Into AAP’s Funding Junked By High Court

Two years later the Union Home Ministry told the High Court it had found no evidence and, months later, a petition seeking a full-fledged probe was junked, saying there was no reason to intervene.

READ | “Answer These Points”: Home Ministry To AAP On Foreign Funding

However, two years after that the centre once again asked the AAP to explain funds received from foreign sources and sent a notice to the party. The AAP hit back with claims of a “witch hunt”.

AAP Vs BJP In Election Run–Up

The AAP and the BJP have clashed over multiple issues in the past weeks and months, with rancour ramped up ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

This has included Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in March – by the Enforcement Directorate – in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam. The Chief Minister – a diabetes patient who claimed not to have received potentially life-saving insulin injections while in jail – was given bail till June 1 so he can campaign.

Swati Maliwal’s assault allegations – against Mr Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar – have also become a flashpoint between the AAP and the BJP, with the latter demanding the Chief Minister resign.

READ | Graffiti “Threatening” Kejriwal In Metro Trains, AAP Blames BJP

This morning the AAP accused the BJP of sponsoring threats against Mr Kejriwal. This was after graffiti was found inside Delhi Metro trains targeting the chief minister. Delhi Police is probing the claims.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.