"I will not let the people of Delhi drink poisonous water till I am alive": Kejriwal hits back at EC notice

New Delhi: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar of engaging in politics after the CEC sent him a notice over his claim that the Haryana government was "mixing poison" in the Yamuna. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal alleged that Kumar had "destroyed" the credibility of the Election Commission (EC) and was eyeing a post-retirement position. Kejriwal further stated, “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.”

His remarks came shortly after the EC expressed dissatisfaction with his reply to its notice regarding the poisoning allegations and gave him a fresh opportunity to explain his charges against the Haryana government. Kejriwal had responded to the EC’s notice on Wednesday, asserting that the raw water received from Haryana in the recent past had been "highly contaminated and extremely poisonous" for human health. He warned that if such "toxic water" was consumed, it would lead to grave health hazards and fatalities.

However, in its letter on Thursday, the EC stated that Kejriwal’s reply was "entirely silent" on the core issue and demanded further clarification by 11 am on January 31. The EC asked Kejriwal to provide factual evidence with a specific and pointed response regarding the type, quantity, nature, and manner of poisoning in the Yamuna. Additionally, the EC requested details of the engineers, location, and methodology of detecting the "poison" by Delhi Jal Board staff, failing which the Commission warned it would take appropriate action.

Despite the EC's dissatisfaction, Kejriwal remained defiant, stating, “I will not let the people of Delhi drink poisonous water till I am alive,” adding that he was not afraid of any consequences, even if it led to his arrest in the coming days.