Didn’t violate any legal guidelines: Kejriwal responds to EC on Yamuna water row

Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP) Nationwide Convener Arvind Kejriwal.
| Picture Credit score: ANI

Aam Aadmi Celebration chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday (January 29, 2025) replied to the Election Fee of India’s discover over his claims concerning Yamuna water, blaming the problem on indiscriminate discharge of untreated waste into the river upstream, and denying he violated any legal guidelines.

On January 27, Mr. Kejriwal alleged that the BJP authorities in Haryana was “mixing poison” within the Yamuna water reaching Delhi. Backing him on Tuesday, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi had cited a letter by the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), which acknowledged that whereas water crops within the capital are designed to deal with 1 elements per million (ppm) of ammonia, ranges in Yamuna water had been properly above permissible limits. The DJB too, nonetheless, later refuted Mr. Kejriwal’s allegations as “factually incorrect” and “with none foundation and deceptive”, as “ammonia in river Yamuna will increase” throughout the winter months between October and February.

On Tuesday, the EC had requested Mr. Kejriwal to offer factual proof to substantiate his allegations.

In his reply, Mr. Kejriwal, citing the DJB CEO’s communication, stated: “The foundation reason for this water contamination, as recognized by DJB’s [CEO’s] letter, is the indiscriminate discharge of untreated home and Industrial waste into the Yamuna River upstream. The systemic failure in controlling this air pollution has resulted in a public well being disaster of unprecedented scale. The pressing cessation of those polluting actions is an absolute necessity, and the higher riparian authorities bear the first duty to make sure that Delhi’s water provide stays uncontaminated and secure.”

His assertion didn’t violate Sections 196, 197 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Part 123(4) of the Illustration of the Individuals Act, 1951, he stated, including there was no breach of Mannequin Code of Conduct (MCC). His assertion was “absolutely protected below the constitutional assure of freedom of speech and expression, and no offence or any violation of Code of Conduct was dedicated,” Mr. Kejriwal’s letter learn.

In the meantime, Ms. Atishi stated in a letter to Lieutenant-Governor V.Ok. Saxena that the latter had bowed to political curiosity.

“Arvind Kejriwal raised the problem that the water within the Yamuna has a extremely toxic degree of ammonia. The letter from the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board outrightly confirms this. Evidently, below your stress, an officer has been pressured to aim a protection of this toxic water provide. Even your letter acknowledges that the present ammonia degree within the water is 7.2 ppm—a determine that’s 700% above the permissible restrict. At this essential juncture, you had two decisions: to prioritize public curiosity or to bow to political curiosity. Sadly, you’ve chosen the latter,” the letter dated January 29 learn.

Mr. Saxena in a letter to Ms. Atishi on Tuesday had objected to alleged false and deceptive statements of Mr. Kejriwal concerning the Haryana authorities allegedly poisoning Yamuna water launched to Delhi.