Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday hit back at the Election Commission’s demand for evidence regarding his allegation that the BJP-led Haryana government was contaminating Yamuna water supplied to Delhi. In a dramatic reply, he challenged, “Drink if you dare.” 

“We have four bottles… will send to each one of them… please drink and show us. Then we will believe,” Kejriwal said, pointing to plastic bottles he claimed contained Yamuna water. 

Hours earlier, the EC had directed Kejriwal to submit “factual evidence” by 11 am on Friday. 

The Election Commission on Thursday asked AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal not to link ammonia levels in the Yamuna with his claim that the Haryana government was poisoning the river. It gave him another chance to explain his allegations. 

The EC was not satisfied with his reply on Wednesday. It asked Kejriwal to provide specific evidence on the type, quantity, and manner of poisoning. He must also submit details of engineers, locations, and the Delhi Jal Board’s method of detecting the “poison.” The ECI said that Kejriwal has provided’ no factual and legal matrix with evidence’ to support his statements. 

“The Commission has received your reply on the complaints vide your communication No Nil dated 29th January 2025. Whereas, on examination, the Commission finds that your response is entirely silent on your public and widely circulated, during the campaign statement of “poising of river Yamuna by the Government of Haryana with intention to cause genocide in Delhi, equating it with an act of war between Nations and the fact that same was not only timely detected by the engineers of Delhi Jal Board but also stopped poisonous water at the border of Delhi,” the ECI said in its letter dated January 30. 

Kejriwal had responded to an EC notice on Wednesday. He accused the BJP-led Haryana government of sending “highly contaminated and extremely poisonous” water to Delhi. 

In a 14-page reply, the former Delhi chief minister said the toxic water posed a grave health risk. He warned it could lead to fatalities if consumed. 

In its fresh letter to Kejriwal, the EC said access to clean water is a governance issue. It noted that all governments must work to ensure this for the people. 

The poll body said it would not intervene in long-standing water disputes or pollution issues during the election period. It left the matter to the discretion of governments and agencies. 

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