
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction with the response given by AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal to its notice over his claim the Haryana government was "mixing poison" in Yamuna.
In a letter to Kejriwal, the ECI said Kejriwal's reply was "entirely silent" on his public and widely circulated statement made during the campaign about the poisoning of the Yamuna River by the Haryana government, allegedly with the intention of causing genocide in Delhi.
The ECI has sought further clarification on several specific points, requesting a response by 11 am on January 31, 2025, failing which appropriate action will be initiated.
The poll panel's letter pointed out that while Kejriwal had provided a reply, it failed to address the critical issue of his statement about the alleged poisoning of the Yamuna River.
The statement, which Kejriwal made during the campaign, equated the act to "an act of war between nations" and claimed that it was timely detected by the engineers of the Delhi Jal Board, who reportedly stopped the poisonous water at the Delhi border.
The ECI further observed that no factual or legal evidence had been provided to substantiate the claim and directed Kejriwal to submit a second, more detailed reply.
The Commission has asked Kejriwal to clarify the type of poison allegedly mixed by the Haryana government in the Yamuna River, the supporting evidence regarding the quantity and nature of the poison, the method and location of its detection, and the role of the Delhi Jal Board engineers in preventing the poisonous water from entering the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
In its letter, the ECI reiterated that Kejriwal’s initial response, instead of addressing the factual and legal aspects of the statement, merely attempted to justify it based on the high ammonia content in the Yamuna River in Delhi.
The Commission also noted that it had received joint letters from the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Punjab, alleging a deliberate increase in ammonia levels in the river due to water released by Haryana. This issue, the ECI stated, was being dealt with separately, based on inputs from the Haryana government.
It had asked the AAP convenor not to mix the issue of increased ammonia in Yamuna with his allegation of river poisoning.
The poll panel emphasized that Kejriwal’s statement about the poisoning of the Yamuna River had prima facie been found to promote disharmony and enmity between groups, potentially leading to public disorder and unrest. The ECI reminded Kejriwal of the serious consequences that such statements could have, including creating lasting divisions between identifiable groups of residents in Delhi and Haryana.
The Commission has now granted Kejriwal another opportunity to submit a specific and detailed reply to his statement, without conflating it with the ongoing issue of ammonia levels in the river.