Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar of “destroying” the credibility of the Election Commission of India. Kejriwal alleged that the CEC was indulging in politics by issuing a notice over his claim that the Haryana government was “mixing poison” in the Yamuna river.
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal claimed that Rajiv Kumar was eyeing a post-retirement role. “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,” Kejriwal remarked.
Kejriwal’s statement came after the Election Commission (EC) expressed dissatisfaction with his response to its notice. The EC demanded further clarification by 11 a.m. on January 31, warning of appropriate action if his claims were not substantiated.
EC’s Notice and Kejriwal’s Response
The controversy began when Kejriwal alleged that the raw water recently supplied from Haryana was “highly contaminated and extremely poisonous” for human health. Responding to the EC’s notice on Wednesday, he defended his statements, claiming that it was his “public duty” to inform citizens about the severe toxicity of Yamuna water.
The EC asked Kejriwal to provide factual evidence about the “type, quantity, and nature of poisoning” along with details of testing methods used by Delhi Jal Board engineers. He was instructed to submit a specific response by 11 a.m. on January 31.
The controversy comes ahead of the Delhi elections scheduled for February 5, with results to be announced on February 8.
