EC asks Kejriwal not to mix issue of increased ammonia in Yamuna with allegation of river poisoning
Kejriwal directed to explain his charges against the Haryana government by 11 am on Friday
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New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing controversy over the accusations of “poison” being mixed in the Yamuna waters, the Election Commission, in a fresh notice on Thursday, asked AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal “not to mix the issue of increased ammonia in Yamuna with his allegation of river poisoning”, and asked him to explain his charges against the Haryana government by 11 am on Friday. Hitting back, Mr Kejriwal said the chief election commissioner has made a “mess” of the poll panel and he will not let the people of Delhi drink poisonous water as long as he is alive. He also voiced fears that he may be apprehended in two days.
The EC has also asked Mr Kejriwal to share details of the engineers, location and methodology of detecting the “poison” by Delhi Jal Board staff, failing which the commission will be free to take appropriate decisions in the matter. Earlier, on Wednesday, Mr Kejriwal had responded to the poll panel notice over his claim the Haryana government was “mixing poison” in the Yamuna, and said raw water received from the BJP-ruled state in the recent past has been "highly contaminated and extremely poisonous" for human health.
In the 14-page reply to the EC, the former Delhi chief minister had said if such "toxic water" is allowed to be consumed by people, it would lead to grave health hazards and fatalities. Not satisfied with his reply, the EC, however, asked him to provide factual evidence with specific and pointed response to the type, quantity, nature and manner of poisoning of Yamuna.
Addressing a press briefing, Mr Kejriwal accused chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar of engaging in politics by issuing him a notice over his claim that the Haryana government was "mixing poison" in the Yamuna. "No one has damaged the Election Commission the way Rajiv Kumar has done. If he wants, he can contest elections from any of the Delhi Assembly seats," the former chief minister said.
Targeting the CEC, the AAP supremo said: “If you want to do politics, contest elections. He is eyeing a post-retirement job. No one has damaged the Election Commission as much as Rajiv Kumar has”. He added: "I will not let the people of Delhi drink poisonous water as long as I am alive. I know they will arrest me in two days, but I am not afraid," he added.
Taking a potshot at his political rivals, the AAP national convener alleged that the Congress and BJP have teamed up and were putting the health of Delhi's people in jeopardy.
Targeting Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini, Mr Kejriwal said the CM "was trapped in his own drama" and claimed that Mr Saini could not have even a sip of the water during his visit to Palla. "Yet, he wants the people of Delhi to consume this poisonous water," he added.
"For the past several days, water with extremely dangerous ammonia levels has been flowing into the Yamuna from Haryana. When CM Atishi called her Haryana counterpart, urging him to stop sending this toxic water, he did nothing," Mr Kejriwal alleged.
The AAP chief further challenged BJP leaders and Congress' Rahul Gandhi to drink Yamuna water containing 7 ppm ammonia, which he said had been bottled.
"Our MP Sanjay Singh, along with other AAP leaders, will go to the BJP headquarters with these water bottles. If Amit Shah, Nayab Saini, Virendra Sachdeva, and Rahul Gandhi -- who have conspired to make Delhi's people drink poisonous water -- can drink it, we will accept our mistake," he said.