BJP organises statewide protests against Kejriwal

Politics over AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s statement that Haryana was releasing toxic water into the Yamuna has hot up, with the BJP organising statewide protests.

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Accusing Arvind Kejriwal of making “false and defamatory statements” about Haryana releasing toxic water into the Yamuna, the BJP staged a protest in Panchkula today. Senior BJP leaders, including state ministers Vipul Goyal, Ranbir Gangwa and several MLAs, led the demonstration. They also burnt an effigy of Kejriwal and demanded an apology.

Goyal slammed Kejriwal, saying, “It is his habit to make baseless allegations to divert attention from his failures. This time, he has crossed all limits by accusing Haryana of ‘poisoning’ the Yamuna. In meetings, he himself admitted that Haryana is doing good work on pollution. Now, these lies are nothing but a political gimmick ahead of the elections.”

Highlighting water-sharing issues, Goyal said, “Delhi receives water from Haryana’s districts like Faridabad, Gurugram, Palwal and Mewat. These areas are suffering from diseases due to the polluted water coming from Delhi. What has Kejriwal done for them?”

BJP leaders reiterated that Kejriwal’s claims were intended to malign Haryana. “The Yamuna is sacred to us, and Haryana would never poison its waters,” Goyal said, claiming that, “On February 8, people of Delhi will reject these lies, and the lotus will bloom.”

A political stunt: Saini

Meanwhile, CM Nayab Singh Saini termed Kejriwal’s statement a political stunt aimed at influencing voters in the upcoming Delhi Assembly poll. He said the issue had been raised with the Election Commission.

The CM said in 2021, Delhi filed a petition, to which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) responded. The CPCB’s reply highlighted the issue of ammonia nitrogen in the Wazirabad pond and said there was a water treatment plant in Agra capable of treating water with ammonia levels up to 24 mg/l. However, the Delhi Government had not taken steps to upgrade the plant. As a result, the people of Delhi were still forced to consume contaminated water, while Kejriwal was now blaming Haryana.