Haryana poisoning Yamuna row: Kejriwal submits reply to EC, says poll body shooting messenger
NEW DELHI: A day after the Election Commission (EC) directed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal to submit a fresh reply with evidence supporting his claim that the Haryana government was "poisoning" the Yamuna River, the former Delhi chief minister submitted his response on Friday.
Kejriwal expressed shock that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) had not taken action against the Haryana chief minister for allegedly polluting Delhi’s water supply just before the elections. Instead, he accused the EC of targeting him.
The AAP supremo said that he welcomed any "illegal punishment" the Commission might impose on him under the alleged influence of the BJP, asserting that his primary concern was the health and safety of Delhi’s residents. He further demanded a criminal case be registered against the Haryana Chief Minister for causing serious distress to the people of the national capital.
Criticizing the Election Commission’s approach, Kejriwal warned that water could be weaponised in electoral politics if such behaviour remained unchecked. He described the EC’s urgency in the matter as "baffling" and maintained that he was merely trying to avert a public crisis in Delhi. He alleged that the Commission’s negligence in addressing corrupt practices by the BJP could tarnish India's image globally.
Kejriwal went on to claim that the current Election Commission might be remembered in history as an institution that deeply wounded Indian democracy and inflicted irreparable damage to the electoral system.
The controversy began after the Election Commission found Kejriwal’s initial 14-page response lacking factual evidence to support his claim.
In its notice, the EC stated that his reply was “entirely silent” on the poisoning charge and failed to provide a factual and legal basis for his allegations. Instead of addressing the specific accusation, Kejriwal cited high ammonia content in the Yamuna as justification for his remarks.