Delhi: Waterlogging played spoilsport for a Delhi government event which was going to witness school students form the layout of the "world's largest tricolour", with the BJP and Congress attacking Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the arrangements.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari wrote to the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), claiming that students were called for the event but were not informed about its cancellation.
The students got drenched in the rain, and this could pose a health risk for them, Tiwari wrote. On the basis of this letter, the NCPCR sought an action-taken report on the matter from the Delhi chief secretary within seven days.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced last week that thousands of children would come together seeking to create a world record of making the largest layout of the tricolour on August 4.
The event was scheduled to be held at Burari Ground, but it got postponed due to waterlogging at the venue. The chief minister was supposed to attend the event.
"On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the country''s independence, Delhi''s children were going to form the largest tricolour today. But due to flooding of Burari Ground due to rainwater, this programme is currently being postponed. Yesterday, our children also did a wonderful rehearsal for it," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi.
According to an official, around 50,000 children from Delhi government schools were likely to participate in the event. The government is yet to decide on a new date.
The Delhi Congress too lashed out at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party over the city government's "incompetence and inaction".
Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar said instead of postponing the event, the Delhi government should have arranged an alternative venue for the programme.
"If the Burari Ground got waterlogged, then the Delhi Government should have arranged an alternative venue. Instead of postponing the event, it could have been shifted to big stadiums like Thyagraj Nagar or the Nehru Stadium," Kumar said.
BJP MP Tiwari said the government should have made better arrangements for the children.
Kejriwal spent crores on advertisements for the event, Tiwari said, adding that he could have paid some attention to the arrangements for the children.
