E-Paper
‘Yamuna is on a ventilator’: Swati Maliwal detained by Delhi Police after protest outside Arvind Kejriwal's home
Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal accused Kejriwal of living in luxury while the river remains polluted and challenged the AAP chief to take a dip in the Yamuna.
The Delhi Police detained Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Monday after she staged a protest outside Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal's residence against the Delhi government's “failure to clean the Yamuna", claiming that the river is “on a ventilator”.
Swati Maliwal, accompanied by a group of Purvanchal women, arrived at Arvind Kejriwal's residence carrying water from the Yamuna. She accused Kejriwal of living in luxury while the river remains polluted and challenged the AAP chief to take a dip in the Yamuna.
“Arvind Kejriwal has turned the Yamuna river into a drain. Black dirty rotten water is flowing in Yamuna. The river is on a ventilator, while Arvind Kejriwal is in his palace and roams around in luxurious cars. Thousands of women from Purvanchal have come here to challenge him—he should not be so scared of women and should come out and take a dip in the dirty water of Yamuna and take a sip of that water,” news agency ANI quoted Maliwal as saying.
Maliwal said the women of Purvanchal were upset with Kejriwal for not keeping his promises. “The women of Purvanchal are saying that he will be cursed by Chhathi Maiya because the women have no other place to celebrate Chhath,” she said.
Swati Maliwal, who has been outspoken in her criticism of Kejriwal ahead of the February 5 Delhi election, accused the AAP leader of failing to deliver on his promises.
In a recent case, the Delhi high court heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the ban on holding Chhath Puja on the banks of the Yamuna. However, the court chose not to issue any directions, citing the severe pollution of the river. It also highlighted that nearly 1,000 alternative sites had been set up for the celebration, with adequate arrangements in place.
‘Yamuna transformed into drain’: Swati Maliwal
Standing on the banks of the Yamuna on Monday, Swati Maliwal questioned the allocation of funds for cleaning the river.
“Yamuna river has transformed into a drain because of Arvind Kejriwal. I have come here with thousands of Purvanchali women, and the situation here is so bad that the stench has made it difficult for us to stand. The Purvanchali women are going with me to Arvind Kejriwal's residence and want to ask him where the ₹7,500 crores allotted for cleaning the river went?” she said.
Earlier, on January 30, Maliwal criticised Kejriwal for being “unbothered” about the growing garbage problem in Delhi, saying he has shifted from being an “Aam Aadmi” (common man) to a “Khaas Aadmi” (VIP).
Amid the ongoing election campaign, Kejriwal has faced criticism over the pollution in the Yamuna River. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi referred to Kerjiwal’s earlier promise to clean the river. Rahul challenged Kejriwal to take a dip in the Yamuna, jokingly saying he would meet him at the hospital afterwards.
BJP leader and Union minister JP Nadda also accused the AAP government of mishandling Yamuna cleaning funds, saying, “Did you get clean water in the Yamuna? They gobbled up ₹8,000 crore and then blamed the Haryana government for poisoning it.”
At a press conference in the national capital on Monday, Union minister Piyush Goyal criticised the AAP government for depriving Delhi residents of clean drinking water and air and failing to fulfil promises, including the rejuvenation of the Yamuna River.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
