Tue Jan 28 05:18:10 UTC 2025: ## Kejriwal Accuses BJP of Poisoning Delhi’s Water Supply Ahead of Elections

**New Delhi, January 27, 2025** – With Delhi Assembly elections looming next week, a bitter war of words has erupted between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a scathing attack on the BJP, accusing the Haryana government (ruled by the BJP) of deliberately adding poison to the Yamuna River water, which supplies Delhi.

Kejriwal claimed that a poisonous substance, reportedly ammonia, was added to the river water entering Delhi. He asserted that only the vigilance of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) engineers prevented the contaminated water from reaching the city’s residents. He described the alleged act as an unprecedented attempt to create chaos and shift blame onto the AAP administration.

The DJB CEO, however, countered Kejriwal’s claims as false and potentially fear-mongering. High ammonia levels in the Yamuna have been a recurring problem, exacerbating Delhi’s existing water shortage. The city’s daily water requirement is around 3,000 million litres, while the current supply falls short at approximately 2,000 million litres.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini vehemently denied Kejriwal’s allegations, calling them typical AAP tactics. Haryana Labour Minister Anil Vij echoed this sentiment, urging journalists to compare water quality at the Delhi-Haryana border and within Delhi itself to prove the AAP’s claims false. Vij added that cleaning the Yamuna within Delhi was the responsibility of the AAP government.

Following the accusations, AAP leaders met the Election Commission, which has requested a detailed report from the Haryana government by January 28. Meanwhile, sources within the BJP indicate that the Haryana government plans to sue Kejriwal for defamation.

The controversy highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the cleanliness and potability of the Yamuna, a key issue in the upcoming elections. Kejriwal had previously admitted to failing to fulfill his promise of cleaning the Yamuna and providing clean drinking water, a point the BJP has repeatedly exploited. Union Home Minister Amit Shah even challenged Kejriwal to take a dip in the Yamuna, echoing earlier dares from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. A Delhi Pollution Control Committee report from October 2023 highlighted delays in multiple projects aimed at cleaning the river, citing the DJB and Delhi Development Authority for their shortcomings. The accusations and counter-accusations are expected to dominate the remaining days of the campaign.

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