'Artificial rain' fraud, BJP govt wants to steal Lord Indra's credit: Saurabh Bharadwaj
New Delhi (PTI): The Aam Aadmi Party termed the Delhi BJP government's cloud seeding experiment on Tuesday a "big fraud" and said it might attempt to steal the credit of (Hindu rain god) Lord Indra if actual rain happens.
There was no immediate reaction from the BJP.
After 53 years, Delhi conducted cloud seeding trials to induce artificial rain as pollution levels surged and the weather department ruled out any trace of rain in the horizon.
The trials were conducted in parts of the city, including Burari, north Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar and Badli, with more such exercises planned over the next few days, according to Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that her government is trying out cloud seeding to see if it could solve Delhi's pollution problem.
In a statement, AAP's Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said the BJP government has "committed fraud even in the name of rain".
Citing data from India Meteorological Department that confirmed no rainfall anywhere in Delhi on Tuesday, Bharadwaj said, "The BJP government is claiming to have carried out artificial rainfall, but not a single drop fell anywhere in the city."
Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar and Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha also confirmed that there was no rain in their constituencies.
"It seems even Lord Indra is upset with the BJP," Bharadwaj remarked, pointing out that there was no trace of rain in Central Delhi either.
He said there were news reports that said rain is forecast for the city on Tuesday.
Taking a dig at the ruling dispensation, he said that if Lord Indra indeed makes it rain, the BJP ministers will hold a press conference and claim that it was their doing.
"Lord Indra won't come down to clarify who caused the rain, so the BJP will take full advantage of it. This government can even claim credit for Lord Indra's work because after all they have to pay the contractor for the trial," he said.
Later in the day, Bharadwaj visited Central Delhi to inspect if there was rain. "Not a single drop has fallen here," he said.
"The BJP will wait for an actual shower. And the moment Lord Indra brings rain, they will steal even his credit and say 'we made it rain'. Lord Indra will bring the rain while the BJP government will foot the bill," he added.
While the AAP was in power, it had also considered holding cloud seeding trials as a measure to tackle pollution but failed to secure permissions.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "Historical data shows that rain happens at 50 per cent humidity. If the IIT Kanpur experiment is successful, it will be historic, as rainfall would have occurred with 10-15 per cent humidity. If the (cloud seeding chemical) mixture induces rainfall, it will be the biggest solution," Sirsa added.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
