Cold wave kills six people in 24 hours, AAP govt on back foot
- January 19, 2014, 2:13 pm
- World News
- 150 Views
NEW DELHI, Jan 19 (Online): The cold wave in the national capital has killed six people in 24 hours putting Arvind Kejriwal's government on the back foot, Indian media reported on Sunday.
The three-week-old government in Delhi was formed at the peak of winters with the Aam Aadmi Party's MLAs facing the daunting task of protecting the city's homeless from the biting cold.
The government had put up night-shelters across the city, including turning dilapidated buses into night camps for the poor. However, the deaths this week have brought the government's efforts under scrutiny.
Delhi's Urban Development Minister Manish Sisodia has ordered an inquiry into the deaths.
"We have arranged everything in the shelter homes. But many people are opting to stay outdoors. It is not an excuse; it is a serious problem," Mr Sisodia said as he visited a night shelter today.
The deaths have given fresh ammunition to the opposition, which has come down hard on the Aam Aadmi Party's policies.
"It is the government's responsibility to provide enough shelters to the homeless. There is a difference in sitting at Jantar Mantar protesting and working in the government," BJP leader Dr Harsh Vardhan.
