Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 | CEC doing politics, destroyed credibility of EC: Kejriwal on row over Yamuna poisoning claim

New Delhi: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar of doing politics by sending him a notice over his claim that the Haryana government was "mixing poison" in the Yamuna.

Addressing a press conference here, Kejriwal alleged that Kumar had "destroyed" the credibility of the Election Commission (EC) and was eyeing a post-retirement position.

The former chief minister's remarks came shortly after the EC expressed dissatisfaction with his reply to its notice and gave him a fresh opportunity to explain his charges against the Haryana government.

"No one has damaged the Election Commission the way Rajiv Kumar has done. If he wants, he can contest elections from any of the Delhi Assembly seats," Kejriwal said at the press conference.

"I will not let the people of Delhi drink poisonous water till I am alive. I know they will arrest me in two days but I am not afraid," he said without naming anyone.

Kejriwal responded to the EC notice on Wednesday, saying that raw water received from Haryana in the recent past had been "highly contaminated and extremely poisonous" for human health.

If such "toxic water" is allowed to be consumed by people, it would lead to grave health hazard and fatality, he said in his 14-page reply to the EC.

In its letter on Thursday, the EC said that Kejriwal's reply was "entirely silent" on the core issue and demanded further clarification by 11 am on January 31, failing which appropriate action would be taken.

Delhi Assembly Election 2025 | The first of two state assembly polls this year sees a three-way contest between AAP, Congress, and BJP in the nation's capital. AAP decided to contest the polls alone, causing rumours of a rift in I.N.D.I.A. BJP, meanwhile, is hoping the liquor excise policy scam and pollution in Delhi will give the saffron party an edge over AAP. Kejriwal, on the other hand, has different plans with his demand for reservations for Delhi Jats. Congress will also be looking to make its presence felt and has not held back from attacking its own alliance partner. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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