Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal’s claim of the Haryana government "poisoning" the Yamuna water has sparked off a political storm, with the Election Commission seeking factual evidence from the former chief minister to substantiate his claim.
BJP, the ruling party in Haryana, condemned Kejriwal’s remarks and said he cannot be forgiven for his "dangerous statement". In a complaint to the poll panel, the saffron party demanded that the AAP chief be barred from the Delhi election campaigning.
A BJP delegation, led by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requested the EC to ask Kejriwal to retract his charge and apologise for creating "panic" among people.
Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena wrote to Chief Minister Atishi, saying her party chief's remarks are highly objectionable and amount to endangering national security.
The AAP, however, doubled down on Kejriwal’s statement and asserted that the BJP-led Haryana government was deliberately releasing alarming levels of ammonia into the Yamuna river, endangering Delhi's water supply.
In its letter to Kejriwal, the Election Commission reminded him of legal provisions that can lead to up to three years imprisonment for "mischievous" statements against national integration and public harmony.
The poll body sought details on the nature and extent of the chemicals used for "poisoning" the Yamuna.
Addressing a poll rally on Monday, the AAP supremo had alleged that the Haryana government was supplying "poison-mixed" water to Delhi with the intention of killing people so that it could blame the AAP during the election.
The BJP hit back at Kejriwal’s statements with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and dared him to make public the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) report which he cited to level the charge.
