NEW DELHI: The water dispute between Delhi and Haryana escalated on Wednesday as AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal claimed that Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini‘s act of drinking Yamuna water was deceptive, suggesting he “pretended” and “spat back the water”.
This follows Kejriwal’s earlier assertion on Tuesday that Haryana administration had “poisoned” Delhi’s water supply, potentially endangering residents.
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During his visit to Yamuna’s banks at Delhi’s Palla village today, chief minister Saini countered Kejriwal’s allegations by taking a sip from the river.
However, sharing the video, Kejriwal claimed, “Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini pretended to drink Yamuna water… and then spat the same water back into the Yamuna.”
“When I said that Yamuna water could be dangerous for the lives of Delhiites due to ammonia contamination, they threatened to file an FIR against me. They want to make the people of Delhi drink the same poisonous water which they themselves cannot drink. I will never let this happen,” he added.
Meanwhile, Saini described Kejriwal’s comments as “unfortunate” and accused him of attempting to generate public fear for political advantage. “An unfortunate statement by Arvind Kejriwal was given to create fear in the minds of people for his political benefits,” Saini told reporters.
He elaborated, “Today, I have come here to the banks of River Yamuna and took a sip of water from Yamuna. He said that the BJP Goverment of Haryana has poisoned the Yamuna River. He spoke about mass genocide.”
“The water resource authority took samples from here and no poison was found in the water,” he stated, whilst claiming that Arvind Kejriwal has “lied all his life”.
The dispute originated from Kejriwal’s Monday statements accusing Haryana’s administration of “poisoning” Delhi’s Yamuna water supply, suggesting potential mass casualties.
Kejriwal stated, “If this water would have entered Delhi only to be mixed with the drinking water, many people would have died in Delhi. It would have caused mass genocide.”
These accusations have prompted BJP criticism ahead of Delhi Assembly elections, scheduled for February 5, 2025.
Prime Minister Modi also criticised Kejriwal’s statements, saying, “People of ‘Aapda’ say that people of Haryana mix poison in water sent to Delhi. This is not just an insult to Haryana but to all Indians. Ours is a country where providing drinking water is considered a good deed…Such fear of losing that they are saying anything. I am sure Delhi will teach a lesson to people who say such things. In aapda walon ki llutiya Yamuna mein hi doobegi. “
As the row continues, Sonipat court has issued summons to Kejriwal for February 17 over the remarks.
The Delhi Assembly elections are set for February 5, with vote counting on February 8. The election features 699 candidates competing for 70 assembly seats.