Water Crisis Sparks Public Confrontation Between Minister and BJP MLA in Mahoba
A routine visit by Uttar Pradesh’s Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh to Mahoba on Friday took a dramatic turn when he was stopped by Charakhari MLA Brijbhushan Rajput, who confronted him over the grim reality of drinking water supply in rural areas.
The MLA arrived with dozens of village heads and a long convoy of vehicles, blocking the minister’s route to highlight what he described as the failure of the “Har Ghar Nal” (tap water) scheme on the ground.
As soon as the minister stepped out of his vehicle, Rajput began detailing the deteriorating condition of water infrastructure across villages.
The exchange soon turned heated, prompting senior leaders and officials to step in and calm the situation.
In an attempt to resolve the matter, the minister invited the MLA into his car, but instead of heading to the affected villages, the convoy proceeded straight to the district collectorate, where a closed-door meeting lasting nearly an hour was held.
After the meeting, the minister departed, while the MLA warned of further protests if corrective steps were not taken.
Rajput alleged that while official records project Mahoba as a top-performing district in water supply, the reality in villages is starkly different.
He pointed to dug-up roads left unrepaired, leaking pipelines, unfinished works, overflowing water tanks, and households still without tap connections.
According to him, repeated complaints and even raising the issue in the Assembly have resulted only in paperwork, not solutions.
Challenging the claims, the minister reportedly asked the MLA to show him any village facing such problems. Though Rajput agreed, the visit to the ground never materialized.
The MLA later stated that if the suffering of villagers continues to be ignored, protests will escalate — even to the extent of surrounding ministers in Lucknow if necessary.
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