Election Commission asks Kejriwal not to mix issues, provide factual evidence over his "poisoned water" remarks
Jan 30, 2025
New Delhi [India], January 30 : The Election Commission of India on Thursday responded to AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal to not mix issues of increased ammonia in the Yamuna River with his serious allegations of Yamuna poisoning with mass genocide, equating act of war between two nations.
The Commission has granted Kejriwal another opportunity to explain why action should not be taken for his serious allegations promoting disharmony, the enmity between different groups, overall public disorder and unrest.
The ECI asked the AAP Chief that without mixing the issue of poisoning with increased ammonia in Yamuna, to provide factual evidence with specific and pointed responses to type, quantity, nature, manner of poisoning of Yamuna and details of engineers, location and methodology of detecting the poison by Delhi Jal Board engineers by Friday 11 am, failing which the Commission will take appropriate decision in the matter.
The poll body also highlighted that the availability of sufficient and clean water is a governance issue and that all concerned governments at all times should engage in securing this for all the people. it found no reason for anyone to dispute this noble position and will leave it to the competence and discretion of governments and agencies, abstaining from arbitration on long-standing water-sharing and pollution issues during the brief election period, particularly where agreements and legal directives from the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal already exist.
Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday responded to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding his "poisoned water" remarks, in which he levelled serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana for "poisoning" the Yamuna water coming to Delhi.
Kejriwal stated that the statements made by him were in "furtherance of an imperative public duty."
"Statements were made in furtherance of an imperative public duty to highlight the severe toxicity and contamination of raw water received from Haryana, which presents an imminent and direct threat to public health," the letter signed by Kejriwal read.
Notably, both BJP and Congress have lodged complaints with the Election Commission against Kejriwal for making serious false allegations on Monday.
