Poll body wades into Yamuna water war

Ammonia levels in the Yamuna became a major campaign issue in the Delhi assembly elections on Tuesday after the Election Commission of India wrote to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asking for proof behind his allegation that Haryana was poisoning the river even as the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party traded allegations over the issue.

- Paras Singh and Alok KN Mishra

NEW DELHI:

ECI asked Kejriwal to submit a response, based on the questions raised in the complaints filed by the BJP and the Congress, by 8pm on Wednesday.

"As regards the allegations of poisoning, it is expected that there must be a factual foundation to the allegations especially when the veracity of the statements made by you is contested then you must be able to back your statement on factual basis. You are called upon to furnish your response on the complaints especially on the factual and legal matrix along with evidentiary support by 20 hours on January 20," said the poll watchdog.

The letter came in response to a comment by Kejriwal on Monday, when he said water supply in parts of the Capital may be affected due to rise in ammonia levels as Haryana was "intentionally" draining industrial waste into the Yamuna leading to ammonia spike in raw water.

"BJP's Haryana government has mixed poison in the water being sent to Delhi. Had that water mixed with drinking water, it would have caused mass genocide in Delhi. Such poison was mixed in water that Delhi's treatment plants can not clear it," he said in a video message, comparing it to using biological weapons.

The allegation was denied by Haryana, with chief minister Nayab Singh Saini saying he will file a defamation suit against the AAP chief. On Tuesday, ECI said that the poisoning allegations and equating the act by another neighbouring government with "nuclear and biological war" is "serious and unprecedented" and has potential of creating enmity between regional groups and states.