In a high-stakes political drama, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Friday submitted his response to the Election Commission (EC) regarding his controversial remarks about the contamination of Delhi’s water supply, which he described as being “poisoned.” The EC had issued a notice to Kejriwal earlier in the week, demanding an explanation for his inflammatory statements by 11 am on Friday.
Accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kejriwal arrived at the EC office in New Delhi to present his defense. In his written reply, Kejriwal reiterated that his comments were specifically addressing the unprecedented and dangerously high levels of ammonia contamination found in the raw water supplied to Delhi from Haryana, not an accusation of any malicious intent beyond this environmental crisis. He clarified that his use of the term “poison” referred solely to the ammonia levels, which had peaked at 7 parts per million (ppm) in January—an alarming figure that posed significant risks to public health.
Kejriwal went on to recount the efforts made by Delhi officials to resolve the issue, highlighting the repeated failures of the Haryana government to act despite assurances of intervention. He further suggested that the contamination of the Yamuna water could be a deliberate political maneuver aimed at destabilizing the AAP government ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections. According to Kejriwal, Haryana’s inaction appeared to be a calculated attempt to create a “manufactured crisis” in Delhi, tarnishing the AAP’s reputation and influencing the outcome of the elections. He even called for a criminal investigation into Haryana Chief Minister’s actions, accusing him of exacerbating the crisis for political gain.
Before visiting the EC, Kejriwal addressed the media, claiming that the language of the notice implied the poll body had already decided on its course of action. He accused the EC of “shooting the messenger,” suggesting that the AAP was being targeted for raising concerns about the water contamination. Kejriwal alleged a broader political conspiracy, claiming that the water contamination was part of an orchestrated effort to create a crisis in Delhi, further accusing the BJP government of using the situation to damage the AAP’s electoral prospects.
The Election Commission had issued two separate notices to Kejriwal, demanding a detailed explanation of his allegations that the BJP had intentionally contaminated the Yamuna water, accusing them of attempting to commit a “genocide” in the city. Despite defending his remarks as a necessary response to an engineered crisis, Kejriwal’s actions still led to the notices. The EC requested specifics regarding the detection of the “poison” in the water, including the names of engineers, their locations, and the methods used by the Delhi Jal Board staff to identify the contamination. The commission warned that failure to provide these details by the Friday deadline would result in further action.
