In response to the Election Commission of India’s notice, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday defended his claim that the Haryana government was “mixing poison” in the Yamuna river. Kejriwal asserted that the raw water recently received from Haryana was “highly contaminated and extremely poisonous” to human health.
In his response to the Election Commission, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal clarified that his remarks were made in the context of an “urgent public health crisis” regarding the quality of drinking water in the national capital.
In his 14-page reply to the Election Commission, Arvind Kejriwal stated that the “alleged statements” attributed to him were made in fulfillment of his public duty to draw attention to the “severe toxicity and contamination” of raw water received from the BJP-ruled Haryana.
After the BJP filed a complaint on the matter, the Election Commission issued a notice to Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, giving him time until 8 pm on Wednesday to submit his reply.
Kejriwal also claimed that the ammonia levels in the raw water received from Haryana were so “extreme” that Delhi’s water treatment plants were unable to process it to safe and permissible levels for human consumption.
“Statements were made in furtherance of an imperative public duty to highlight the severe toxicity and contamination of raw water received from Haryana, which presents an imminent and direct threat to public health,” the letter signed by Arvind Kejriwal read.
In his letter, Kejriwal emphasized that the concerns he raised should not be seen as an offense, warning that interpreting them as such would set a dangerous precedent that could undermine state accountability.
The letter further read, “It is impermissible, both legally and constitutionally, to criminalize the act of highlighting governmental lapses in ensuring the availability of safe water for the residents of Delhi. If raising legitimate concerns regarding a fundamental civic necessity – such as access to uncontaminated water – is misconstrued as an offence, it would set a dangerous precedent that undermines state accountability and erodes the very fabric of responsible governance.”
