Days after he filed a complaint against BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and Delhi BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga for “obstructing discharge of official duty and criminal intimidation”, a Delhi Jal Board Director, Treatment and Quality Control, Sanjay Sharma on Sunday took a bath – on camera – on the banks with water collected from the river to prove that the chemicals used were completely safe. Sharma took on the challenge and used the Yamuna water to bathe with, assuring devotees that it is safe to take a holy dip.
A video of officials taking a boat ride to collect the water from the river – which Sharma then pours on himself – is doing rounds on social media. “Today in front of all the media, the Director Quality of Delhi Government DJB - Sanjay Sharma took a bath with water from Yamuna. He said the water is absolutely safe for bathing. Glory to the Chhath Maiya!”, AAP MLA and spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj shared a video of a DJB officer taking a bath on the banks with water collected from Yamuna.
Speaking to the media, Sharma said, "I took a bath just to clarify that the water is safe. My skin is well. Some leaders were trying to spread the lies that the board is spraying a harmful chemical in the water. I just took the bath in front of all the media."
Reacting on Sharma's video, Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said that this officer is acting at the behest of the AAP government. “He is acting like AAP workers. There are service rules for government employees which he/she should adhere to,” he added.
A controversy broke out over the spraying of the defoamer chemical ahead of the Chhath puja in an attempt to get rid of the foam that develops on the surface of the river. Verma had earlier challenged Sharma to take bath in Yamuna. In the video which was shared by Bharadwaj, Verma was heard telling the official: “Tere sar pe daal doon yeh chemical? Tum yahan pe chemical daal do paani mein aur yahan pe log lagayenge dubki, yeh main tere sar par daal doon? (You will spray the chemical in the water here and people will come to take a dip in the water. I’ll pour this over your head?)” In the video, Verma was also heard calling the official a “besharam, ghatiya aadmi” (shameless person).
