Politics boil over ‘water terrorism’

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Politics boil over ‘water terrorism’

Wednesday, 29 January 2025 | Rajesh Kumar | New Delhi

Politics boil over ‘water terrorism’

The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday asked AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal to substantiate with facts his allegations of poisoning of Yamuna River and mass genocide. The poll body has sought a response, a proof from the AAP national convenor by 8pm on 29 January. The Commission has asked the AAP led Delhi government to provide evidence of Haryana government ‘poisoning’ Delhi water supply.

This comes after both the BJP and Congress had complained to the poll panel against Kejriwal for levelling allegations of poisoning of Yamuna river. A BJP delegation, comprising Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Bhupender Yadav and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh met all three members of the EC, and requested them to ask the AAP leader to retract his charge and apologise for creating “panic” among people. BJP leaders also urged the Commission to bar him from campaigning for his allegation that Haryana was poisoning the water of Yamuna. Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit raised the issue with Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, demanding action against Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi over the issue.

In a letter to Kejriwal, the EC said the matter is being examined by the Commission in the light of provisions of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and relevant provisions of law. “Therefore, you are called upon to furnish your response on the complaints especially on the factual and legal matrix along with evidentiary support thereof by 8 pm hours on 29 th January, 2025 so as to enable the Commission to examine the matter and take action as appropriate”.

“However, as regards the allegations of poisoning, it is expected that there must be a factual foundation to the allegations especially when the veracity of the statements made by you is contested, then you must be able to back your statements on a factual basis,” the EC said. The Commission noted that such allegations have serious ramifications of creating enmity between the regional groups, and residents of the neighbouring states, threat of a law-and-order situation due to actual or perceived shortage or non-availability of water, during this time of the year.

Accusing Kejriwal of making a dangerous statement with implications for India’s federal structure, the Centre urged the Election Commission to bar him from campaigning for his allegation that Haryana was poisoning the water of Yamuna. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini asked the AAP convener to apologise or face defamation suit on his statement.

“We came to protest and submit our petition to the EC on the very unfair, irresponsible, and the violative of the MCC statement made by the former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. It is a very dangerous statement. This statement was dangerous for everyone except him, who is a self-proclaimed anarchist. The statement that he made has actually brought fear into the minds of people in Delhi. This has very serious implications for the way in which elections are conducted in this country. Is this good for our democracy? We raised these issues before the EC as How could a CM or former CM accuse another CM of an act which somewhere relatable to genocide?... It is an insult to all the people of Haryana who have elected him. We have requested the EC to take action which prevents Arvind Kejriwal from campaigning in Delhi anymore...” Sitharaman said after meeting the officials of poll watchdog.

Meanwhile, AAP convener said he was not afraid of legal action and asserted he would not let people die in Delhi because of the “dirty, poisonous water”. Kejriwal claimed in a press conference that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) CEO, in a letter on Monday, confirmed that a “poison” called ammonia had been mixed with the water supplied from the neighbouring state.

In a fiery social media post, AAP alleged, “Poison is being mixed into the Yamuna to make its water untreatable. If people in Delhi consume this water, many will die. This is nothing short of a mass murder.”

Hitting back at Saini, Kejriwal said he should not do politics over the issue. “It’s sinful, you will face the curse of the people,” Kejriwal said referring to Saini. “They are threatening to filea case against me. I was sent to jail by them, will they now hang me,” he stated.

Delhi CM Atishi and her Punjab counterpart, Bhagwant Mann, also met EC officials, alleging that the BJP-led Haryana government is deliberately releasing alarming levels of ammonia into the Yamuna river, endangering Delhi’s water supply. Atishi had written two letters to the EC seeking an immediate meeting with the officials of the poll panel — one on Monday and another on Tuesday morning.

Earlier, War of words over Yamuna water has escalated with the BJP and Congress attacking AAP over Kejriwal’s ‘poison in Yamuna’ or ‘water terrorism’ remark. Addressing a press conference, 10 BJP MPs from Haryana said it was a clear case of “criminal conspiracy” by Kejriwal who was trying to create panic among the residents of Delhi. The BJP MPs challenged the Aam Aadmi Party government to test the quality of water released from Haryana before it is supplied to households in Delhi.

The BJP leader asserted that the AAP is going to be ousted from power in the February 5 Delhi Assembly polls. In Haryanvi-mixed Hindi, Saini took a dig at the former Delhi chief minister, saying that he has been running a “jhoot ki dukan” in the national capital for the last 10 years.

“He (Kejriwal) told a lie on Monday that surprised me. I had to issue a statement at 12 night. He claimed that poison is being mixed in the (Yamuna) water from Haryana and that (Delhi Jal Board) engineers found out about it and stopped the water,” he said.

“I want to tell Kejriwal that it is our holy Yamuna, in which Kalia Naag (a mythical serpent) used to spread poison and Lord Krishna finished him off,” he said, accusing the AAP national convenor of blemishing Haryana, where he was born.

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