Modi corners AAP on ‘poisoning river’ claim
PM Modi criticized Kejriwal's claims of Haryana poisoning Yamuna, calling it an insult, while AAP accused him of neglecting a tragedy for politics.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attacked former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over his claims that Haryana was poisoning the Yamuna’s waters, calling it “an insult to the people and character” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state, as he sought to corner the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on an allegation that has erupted into a major flashpoint ahead of next week’s polls.
“A former chief minister of Delhi has made disgusting allegations against the people of Haryana. AAP-da (calamity) leaders are panicking for fear of defeat,” Modi said during a rally in Kartar Nagar, northeast Delhi, referring to the city’s ruling party by a moniker he has used often in the build-up to the elections.
Responding to Modi’s remarks, AAP said PM Modi focussed on his election campaign in Delhi despite the fact that a massive disaster had occurred at the Maha Kumbh, referring to the stampede which killed at least 30 people.
“It is deeply tragic that such a massive disaster occurred. We stand with the affected families. But even on a day of such sorrow, PM Modi was only focused on his election campaign. He came to Delhi not to address the tragedy but to hurl abuses at Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP,” the party said in a statement.
Kejriwal on Monday said water supply in parts of the Capital may be hobbled as Haryana was “intentionally” draining industrial waste into the Yamuna, leading to an ammonia spike in raw water, a claim that sparked a firestorm of criticism from opposition parties and prompted the Election Commission of India to write to the AAP chief, asking for proof of his allegation.
People across the national capital, including the country’s prime minister, drink water sourced from the Yamuna, Modi said.
“Is Haryana any different from Delhi? Don’t the children, family and relatives of people from Haryana live in Delhi? Can the people of Haryana mix poison in the water of their own children? Everyone living in Delhi drinks the same water sent by Haryana. For the past 11 years, even the Prime Minister drinks it. All the judges and all other respected people also drink it,” he said.
Modi was addressing the first of three campaign rallies he is slated to hold in the poll-bound Capital over the next few days. The BJP has fielded the incumbent MLA from Ghonda assembly candidate, Ajay Mahawar. He will face the AAP’s Gaurav Sharma and Congress’s Bhisham Sharma.
Around 15.5 million people are eligible to vote in Delhi on February 5. The votes will be counted on February 8.
Over 15 BJP candidates, especially from segments in the east and northeast, shared the stage with the PM at the rally.
Neither the Congress, which governed Delhi from 1998 to 2013, nor the AAP, has developed Delhi, Modi said.
“Someone ruled for 14 years (the Congress), someone ruled for 11 years (the AAP), yet there is the same traffic jam, the same garbage, the same broken roads, the same dirty water flowing through the streets, the same waterlogging, and the same pollution… Nothing has changed. Delhi’s problems remain the same,” he said.
He urged voters in the Capital to give the BJP a chance.
“The power of your vote can take Delhi out of these circumstances. We have to complete the pending work of 11 years and prepare for the next 25-30 years... Give Modi a chance to serve Delhi. I will look after you like a member of my family… I will dedicate all my strength, time, and intellect,” said Modi.
The Prime Minister also sharpened his attack against the AAP on corruption and claimed the former and Congress “have formed an alliance”.
He said, “In the last five years, the Delhi assembly has only worked for 70-75 days, the lowest in its history. Meanwhile, problems in the city have grown, but only 14 laws were passed, with five of them focused on increasing MLA salaries and pensions. AAPda appears least concerned about Delhi’s issues,” he said.
Modi also likened Kejriwal to French serial killer and fraudster Charles Sobhraj over the AAP chief’s repeated claims that the BJP will get slums demolished if it comes to power in Delhi.
“Modi does not have a home of his own, but his dream is for every poor person to have a permanent house. Those who built the Sheesh Mahal, those who are siphoning off millions of public funds and living in luxury, can never think about the homes of the poor. That is why AAP-da leaders are spreading lies in the slums. They speak so innocently while lying, as if they were Charles Sobhraj,” said Modi.
Another flashpoint between the AAP and the BJP ahead of the elections has been the 14 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports that are yet to be tabled in the assembly.
Modi said that when the BJP comes to power, they will table all the CAG reports in the first session of the assembly.
“They (AAP) have suppressed the CAG report because they are afraid that it will blow the lid off the liquor scam, the Sheesh Mahal scam… When the BJP forms the government, the CAG reports will be presented on the table during the first assembly meeting,” said Modi.
The PM accused Kejriwal of “spreading lies” that the BJP will discontinue the free schemes of the Delhi government when it comes to power. Modi reiterated the party’s stand that no schemes will be discontinued.
“This is similar to what Congress did in 2014... They said that MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) will be discontinued if the BJP government comes to power. But we did not shut down MGNREGA. Instead, we strengthened it. The same was said about the PM Rural Roads Scheme started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee—that Congress would immediately terminate it upon coming to power. But the Aam Aadmi Party members do not understand that governments do not close down schemes; they only put an end to corruption,” Modi said.
Responding further to Modi’s claims, AAP said the BJP governs 20 states but none provides “facilities like Delhi”. “None of these 20 states receive 24x7 electricity — only Delhi does. This is a battle between two ideologies — should the government’s treasury serve the people or just a handful of billionaire friends,” the party said.
Ghonda was one of just eight Delhi assembly constituencies the BJP won in the 2020 elections. Mahawar beat AAP’s Shri Dutt Sharma by over 28,000 votes. The AAP, however, won the other 62 seats in the 70-member assembly, storming to power with an unprecedented landslide for a second straight election. The party won 67 seats in 2015, leaving the BJP with just three and the Congress with none.
“The AAP and the BJP are fighting against the people who want to bring back the Congress,” said Abhay Dubey, the Congress’s national spokesperson.