Kejriwal’s Yamuna poisoned claim: poll body demands proof
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New Delhi: Following the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that the BJP government in Haryana poisoned the Yamuna river, the Election Commission demanded him to furnish proof. The EC said in a letter that the allegation was very serious and Kejriwal must produce evidence by 8 pm Wednesday. It said that Kejriwal's action could create animosity between states and it would have invited a three years term in jail.
The poll body acted after a complaint filed by the BJP, NDTV reported.
It was on Monday Kejriwal made the claim suggesting that by poisoning the river, the BJP intended to create chaos so that the blue would fall on his party’s rule. The statement comes while the election is around in the national capital.
He said that the people of Delhi depend on Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for water and the former mixes poison in the Yamuna waters which reaches the Union territory later. It is only because of the Delhi water authority, the poisoned water is stopped before reaching people in the national capital, he claimed.
However, the claim was contested by the Chief Engineer of the Delhi Jal Board, who warned that it could result in fear-mongering among people.
The EC’s letter read to Kejriwal, "The electors tend to believe whatever is being said in public by their leaders and in that sense, the statement, if not true, affects the campaign discourse," NDTV quoted the letter.
The allegations are also "extremely serious in nature and unprecedented," the letter added.
"If true, this also has serious ramifications of creating enmity between regional groups, residents of neighbouring states, threat of law-and-order situation due to actual or perceived shortage of non-availability of water," the Commission wrote.