A war of words escalated between leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday following accusations from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal about the Haryana government “poisoning” the Yamuna River.
In response, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has demanded an apology from Kejriwal, threatening legal action if the Delhi CM does not retract his statements.
In a campaign speech in Delhi, Kejriwal accused the BJP-led Haryana government of deliberately contaminating the Yamuna River, claiming that the water flowing from Haryana to Delhi had been “poisoned.”
Kejriwal stated that the situation had reached such a critical point that it could have led to a “mass genocide” in Delhi if not for the vigilance of the Delhi Jal Board in stopping the contaminated water from entering the capital.
He said, “The people of Delhi get water to drink from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In Yamuna, water flows into Delhi from Haryana. The BJP’s Haryana government has poisoned the water in Yamuna.”
In response to the accusations, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini dismissed Kejriwal’s claims as baseless. He accused Kejriwal of habitually making unfounded allegations to cover up his own “inefficiency” in fulfilling promises.
Saini demanded that Kejriwal apologize to the people of Delhi and Haryana, threatening to file a defamation suit if the Delhi CM did not retract his statement.
“Kejriwal should apologize to the people of Delhi and Haryana or face legal action for his baseless allegations,” Saini stated. He also criticized Kejriwal for failing to make proper arrangements for water distribution in Delhi, which he claimed led to residents consuming contaminated water.
Earlier, Delhi CM Atishi and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann raised concerns about the water quality during a meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI). They alleged that high ammonia levels were present in the water supplied from Haryana to Delhi, prompting the ECI to intervene.
According to reports, the ECI has directed the Haryana government to submit a factual report regarding the water quality by noon on Tuesday.
Saini went on to blame Kejriwal for exacerbating the water crisis in Delhi, pointing to the diversion of 28 drains into the Yamuna River as a major contributing factor to the contamination. “The people of Delhi will teach him a lesson in the upcoming Assembly polls,” Saini added.
He also challenged Kejriwal’s allegations about water scarcity, suggesting that the real issue lay in Delhi’s distribution system, rather than a lack of water. “I said that you (Kejriwal) send your Chief Secretary, and I will ask my Chief Secretary to check the quality of water at Sonipat, from where the Yamuna enters Delhi,” Saini remarked.
As the dispute over water quality intensifies, both state leaders appear determined to shift blame, with the Election Commission now tasked with clarifying the situation.
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