EC writes to Arvind Kejriwal over Yamuna ‘poisoning’ controversy again, AAP chief dares — ‘will send four bottles to…’

The Election Commission again wrote to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday, seeking a specific response to his allegation that the Haryana government "poisoned" the Yamuna River.

In reaction, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal dared Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to drink bottles containing “7 PPM ammonia water, with chlorine mixed in them”. 

The poll body told Kejriwal in its latest letter that he is “once again afforded another opportunity for filing specific and pointed reply to your statement under reference”.

The Commission asked the AAP chief to file a response by 11 am on January 31, 2025, "without mixing it with an ongoing, long-standing, legally governed issue of increased levels of Ammonia and in particular on the following points.”

The Election Commission demanded specific replies to these five questions:

1. What kind of poison was mixed by the State Government of Haryana in the Yamuna River;

2. The supporting evidence about quantity, nature and manner of detecting the poison which could have caused genocide;

3. The location where the poison was detected;

4. Which engineers of Delhi Jal Board detected it, and how and where;

5. What methodology did those engineers employ in stopping poisonous water from entering the NCT of Delhi?

Arvind Kejriwal dares Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi

Following the EC's letter, Arvind Kejriwal held a press conference to launch a scathing attack on Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Showing water bottles at a press conference, Kejriwal said, “These are 7 PPM ammonia water, with chlorine mixed in them.”

Kejriwal said, "[AAP leader] Sanjay Singh will deliver these bottles to the BJP headquarters for Amit Shah, Virendra Sachdeva, Nayab Singh Saini, and also one for Rahul Gandhi.”

He dared, “If they have the courage, they should drink this water in a press conference and show us.”

The AAP chief attacked Rajiv Kumar, saying, “...Rajeev Kumar wants a post-retirement job. I want to tell him—history will never forgive him. I don’t think the Election Commission has ever been ruined so much. I know they will put me in jail within two days. Let them. I am not afraid. The country has never seen elections like this before.”

“I will send three bottles to Rajiv Kumar as well. I know they will arrest me in three days, let them do so, I am not afraid,” Kejriwal said.

What's the controversy?

Arvind Kejriwal stirred up a controversy when he said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Haryana “mixed poison” in Delhi's water supplied through Yamuna. The AAP chief said, this “poisoning” could have led to a "mass genocide” in Delhi. Kejriwal also compared this "with an act of war between Nations.”

The Election Commission then sought factual evidence to substantiate his allegation. Kejriwal told the Commission there was no violation of any law or any code and his statements on Yamuna water were made to highlight severe toxicity and contamination of raw water received from Haryana.

On Thursday, the Election Commission again wrote to Kejriwal, pointing out that the AAP chief's statement didn't clarify the “factual and legal matrix” and that he “chose to justify your statement under question on high ammonia content in the river Yamuna in Delhi.” Therefore, the poll body demanded a specific reply from Kejriwal.