The Election Commission of India directed AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday to clarify his allegations regarding the poisoning of the Yamuna River. The EC urged Kejriwal not to conflate the recent rise in ammonia levels with his claims of deliberate poisoning, and gave him an additional opportunity to substantiate his charges against the Haryana government.
EC demands evidence from Kejriwal
The ECI expressed dissatisfaction with Kejriwal’s initial response and requested a more detailed explanation. They asked him to provide clear evidence, including specifics about the type, quantity, nature, and method of the alleged poisoning. Additionally, Kejriwal was instructed to present information on the engineers, locations, and methods used by the Delhi Jal Board to detect the supposed “poison,” with a deadline of 11 a.m. on Friday. Failure to comply with this request could lead to further action by the EC.
“As a prominent public figure and a former Chief Minister, the Commission need not remind you of the dire consequences that such utterances and actions of yours can have and leave permanent scars between well identifiable groups of residents of two States and/or living together in State of Haryana and NCT of Delhi,” the EC wrote.
In his response, Kejriwal reiterated his earlier claim that the raw water supplied by Haryana was “highly contaminated” and posed serious health risks to Delhi’s residents. He warned that allowing such “toxic water” to be consumed could result in severe health consequences.
The Election Commission requested Arvind Kejriwal to specify the type of poison allegedly introduced by Haryana, along with evidence detailing its quantity, nature, and the method used to detect it. They also asked for information about the location and the specific detection process employed to identify the poison.
(With PTI Inputs)