Arvind Kejriwal Provides Evidence to Back Allegation of Haryana Poisoning Yamuna River
New Delhi, 30th January 2025: On Wednesday, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal responded to the Election Commission regarding his claims about the contamination of the Yamuna River, providing supporting facts. The Election Commission had previously asked Kejriwal to present evidence backing his allegation that Haryana was deliberately poisoning the river. The Commission also reminded him of legal provisions that could result in up to three years imprisonment for making “mischievous” statements against national unity and public harmony.
The EC highlighted the severity of the claims, which suggested that Haryana was attempting to poison the Yamuna with the intent to harm Delhi’s residents. It also pointed out that the contamination was detected by Delhi Jal Board engineers before it could affect the city’s water supply. The Commission expressed concern over the comparison of such actions to nuclear and biological warfare.
In his letter, Kejriwal argued that there had been no legal or ethical violations in his statements. He requested that the Election Commission address the pressing issue of ensuring safe water for Delhi’s citizens, urging intervention to compel Haryana to ensure a clean water supply. Kejriwal emphasized that his comments on the contamination aimed to highlight the severe toxicity and pollution of water coming from Haryana.
He pointed out that the root cause of the contamination, as identified by the Delhi Jal Board’s letter, was the unchecked discharge of untreated domestic and industrial waste into the river upstream. He stressed that the failure to manage this pollution has led to a public health crisis of massive proportions and called for immediate action to halt these polluting practices. He further stated that it is the responsibility of the authorities upstream to ensure the protection of Delhi’s water supply.
