Haryana CM Nayab Saini takes sip from Yamuna amid 'poisoning' allegations by Kejriwal

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini took a sip of water from the Yamuna river on Wednesday amid 'poisoning' allegations by Arvind Kejriwal. The state has also announced plans to file a case against the former CM following his “irresponsible” remark. The AAP had accused the ruling BJP in Haryana of intentionally draining industrial waste into the Yamuna — with Kejriwal alleging on Monday that it is trying to kill people by "mixing poison" in the river.

‘Fearmongering’ allegations

“An unfortunate statement by Arvind Kejriwal was given to create fear in the minds of people for his political benefits. Today, I have come here to the banks of River Yamuna and took a sip of water from Yamuna. He said that the BJP Govt of Haryana has poisoned the Yamuna River. He spoke about mass genocide,” Saini told reporters.

The CM also noted that the water resource authority had taken samples of the river water but failed to find any poisons. Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Vipul Goel also said that the state government planned to register a case against the AAP supremo.

The Delhi Jal Board had also issued a clarification on Monday to claim that the statements made by the AAP convener were “factually incorrect”. Meanwhile the Election Commission of India has directed Kejriwal to furnish evidence about his claim.

The move follows a similar assertion by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week amid uproar over the ‘poisoning’ claim.

“A former CM of Delhi has levelled disgusting allegations on people of Haryana. Due to fear of losing, people from 'AAP-da' have got rattled. Are people of Haryana different from those in Delhi? Are relatives of those living in Haryana not residing in Delhi? Can the people of Haryana poison the water their own people drink? The water sent by Haryana is consumed by everyone living in Delhi, which also includes this prime minister,” he had said.

(With inputs from agencies)