Former Delhi chief minister and Aam AAdmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday (Jan 27) accused the BJP-led Haryana government of releasing poisonous water into the Yamuna River, which supplies drinking water to Delhi. He claimed that the contaminated water could have caused a disaster if the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had not stopped it from entering the city.
Also Read | India: Joint Parliamentary Committee clears Waqf Amendment Bill amid opposition uproar
Kejriwal’s claim of 'mass genocide'
Kejriwal alleged that Haryana’s actions could have resulted in a "mass genocide" in Delhi. He said, “The BJP government in Haryana has poisoned the Yamuna water. Even our treatment plants cannot purify this water. It has already created a water shortage in one-third of Delhi.”
#WATCH | #DelhiElection2025 | AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal says, "...The people of Delhi get water to drink from Haryana and UP. In Yamuna, water flows into Delhi from Haryana. BJP's Haryana govt has poisoned the water in Yamuna. However, the Delhi Jal Board were… pic.twitter.com/fgZPxoBnC0
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2025
He also accused the BJP of trying to create chaos in Delhi and shifting the blame on AAP. To address the issue, AAP CMs Atishi and Bhagwant Mann have approached the Election Commission for immediate intervention.
Delhi Jal Board CEO refutes Kejriwal’s statements
Shilpa Shinde, CEO of the Delhi Jal Board, challenged Kejriwal’s claims, calling them misleading and factually incorrect. Writing to the Chief Secretary, she said such statements create unnecessary fear among residents and harm relations with Haryana.
Also Read | Delhi assembly elections 2025: Kejriwal releases AAP manifesto, promises 15 ‘guarantees’
CEO of Delhi Jal Board, Shilpa Shinde writes to the Chief Secretary, saying statements by AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleging that Haryana has released poison into raw water reaching Delhi through Yamuna are factually incorrect, without any basis and misleading. Such false…
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2025
Haryana Minister denies allegations
Haryana minister Anil Vij dismissed the accusations, calling them baseless. "Arvind Kejriwal is a factory of lies... Take all journalists and analysts to the place where Yamuna enters Delhi and check the quality of water, and then check the quality of water in Delhi. They will see the difference," Vij said.
He also criticised Kejriwal for failing to clean the river in Delhi, stating that maintaining Yamuna’s cleanliness in Delhi is AAP’s responsibility.
(With inputs from agencies)