Chandigarh (Punjab) [India]: Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Minister and BJP leader Vipul Goel on Wednesday criticized Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for his “poisonous water” remarks, calling them “irresponsible” and demanding the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) for “spreading misinformation and creating panic among the people of Delhi and Haryana.”
Addressing AAP’s claim about high ammonia levels in the Yamuna River, Goel told media, “An FIR has been sent to be registered under Sections 2 (d) and 54 of the Disaster Management Act for spreading misinformation and creating panic among the people of Delhi and Haryana… The Election Commission has also asked him (Arvind Kejriwal) on what facts is he making these statements?… Arvind Kejriwal should be ashamed of himself for making such irresponsible statements…”
The Haryana Minister further emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also consumes the same water. “Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister of the country also drink the same water. The people of Delhi will expel him from politics in the coming days.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also criticized Kejriwal’s remarks, stating, “People of ‘aapda’ say that people of Haryana mix poison in water sent to Delhi. This is not just an insult to Haryana but to all Indians. Ours is a country where providing drinking water is considered a good deed… Such fear of losing that they are saying anything. I am sure Delhi will teach a lesson to people who say such things. In aapda walon ki lutiya Yamuna mein hi doobegi…”
The controversy erupted following Kejriwal’s statement on Monday, where he accused the Haryana government of “poisoning” the Yamuna water supplied to Delhi, alleging it could have led to mass fatalities. Kejriwal said, “If this water would have entered Delhi only to be mixed with the drinking water, many people would have died in Delhi. It would have caused mass genocide.”
Kejriwal’s accusations have sparked strong reactions from the BJP ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, scheduled for February 5, 2025.
The Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 5, with vote counting set for February 8. A total of 699 candidates are in the fray for 70 Assembly seats. The Congress party, which ruled Delhi for 15 years, has faced significant setbacks in the past two elections, while AAP secured landslide victories in 2015 and 2020.