New Delhi: The Haryana government, through the State Disaster Management Authority, has filed a criminal complaint against former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly spreading misinformation and creating panic in Delhi and Haryana with his “poisoned Yamuna” remark. Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini posted a video of himself drinking from the Yamuna, triggering clapbacks from Kejriwal and Delhi CM Atishi.
Kejriwal had claimed in a press conference Monday that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) CEO in a letter confirmed that ammonia had been mixed with the water supplied from the neighbouring state. He had then asserted that he would not let the people of Delhi drink the “poisonous water” and die.
The complaint was filed in the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Sonepat on Wednesday. The court will give an opportunity of hearing to Kejriwal before deciding whether it should take cognizance of the complaint. Sonepat Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Goyal has asked Kejriwal to appear in person before the court on 17 February.
“In view of the provision laid down under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, it comes out that an opportunity of being heard is to be given to the accused before taking cognizance of an offence by the magistrate,” the order, seen by ThePrint, said.
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The complaint has been filed by the executive engineer, Water Services Division, Sonipat, who was represented by District Attorney S.K. Khatri’s office. It accuses Kejriwal under Section 54 (punishment for false warning) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, along with Sections 353 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356 (defamation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
While the punishment under Section 54 is a maximum of one year or fine, Section 353 may attract a jail term of 3 years and/or fine, and Section 356 carries a jail term of two years and/or fine.
The complaint says that through his statements, Kejriwal has “made and/or circulated a false alarm as to disaster of mass genocide which would happen in Delhi and which is a disaster as defined in 2(d) of the Disaster Management Act”.
This, it asserted, led to panic in the public.
“Be it mentioned herein that part of this poisoned water as alleged by the accused flows through the State of Haryana as well. Therefore, it has created panic in the mindset of the people of the area due to this false alarm,” the complaint asserts.
It further alleges that Kejriwal, therefore, has committed an offence punishable under Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
“Thus, it is clear that by giving statements to the electronic and print media, which is being widely circulated on social media, the accused Sh. Arvind Kejriwal, wilfully and deliberately made false alarms/warnings regarding poisoning of water by the Government of Haryana in Yamuna River leading to panic in the area and thus, has committed the offence punishable under Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005,” the complaint, seen by ThePrint, submits.
Meanwhile, Saini, Kejriwal and Atishi took swipes at each other on X Wednesday.
Atishi, in a post on X, wrote: “Nayab Saini ji, I have come to know that you are going to the Palla Ghat of Yamuna river. I request that you and I go together, take media colleagues along as well. We will measure the amount of ammonia in front of everyone. Everyone should know that Haryana is sending poisonous water to the people of Delhi.”
.@NayabSainiBJP जी: मुझे पता चला है कि आप यमुना नदी के पल्ला घाट जा रहे हैं। मेरा आग्रह है कि आप और मैं साथ चलते हैं, मीडिया के साथियों को भी लेकर चलते हैं। सबके सामने अमोनिया की मात्रा को नापेंगे। सबको पता चलना चाहिए कि हरियाणा दिल्ली वालों को जहरीला पानी भेज रही है।
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) January 29, 2025
In response, Saini, referring to her as “khadau mukhyamantri (placeholder CM) Atishi Marlena ji”, wrote: “You are welcome on the banks of Yamuna in Palla village. There is no poison in the water coming to Delhi from Haryana, but your minds are definitely filled with poison. Sometimes for the shortage of water, sometimes for the smoke from stubble and sometimes for all your failures, you always keep blaming the people of Haryana.”
आप-दा की खड़ाऊं मुख्यमंत्री आतिशी मार्लेना जी,पल्ला गांव के यमुना तट पर आपका स्वागत है।हरियाणा से दिल्ली आने वाले पानी में तो ज़हर नहीं है,लेकिन आप लोगों के दिमाग में जहर जरुर भरा हुआ है।
कभी पानी की कमी के लिए,कभी पराली के धुएं के लिए तो कभी अपनी तमाम विफलताओं के लिए हमेशा आप… https://t.co/jhIwwZbXrb
— Nayab Saini (@NayabSainiBJP) January 29, 2025
Meanwhile, Kejriwal in a post on X claimed Saini only pretended to drink the water of the Yamuna, and spat it back into the river.
हरियाणा के मुख्यमंत्री नायब सिंह सैनी जी ने यमुना का पानी पीने का ढोंग किया… और फिर वही पानी वापस यमुना में थूक दिया।
जब मैंने कहा कि अमोनिया की मिलावट के कारण यमुना का पानी दिल्लीवालों की जान के लिए ख़तरा हो सकता है, तो इन्होंने मुझ पर FIR करने की धमकी दी।
जिस ज़हरीले पानी… pic.twitter.com/xQEVAu9bWh
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 29, 2025
The Haryana BJP then posted from its X handle that the video Kejriwal shared was edited.
झूठ और फरेब का चश्मा उतारो और दोबारा वीडियो देखो केजरीवाल और अगर हिम्मत है तो दिल्ली की तरफ का यमुना का पानी पीकर दिखाओ
राजनीतिक जगत के अब तक के सबसे नीच बयानों का कीर्तिमान कपटी केजरीवाल स्थापित कर रहा है।
केजरीवाल जी आप तो खुद हरियाणा के कपूत हो और आप जानते हो कि हरियाणा के… https://t.co/FrF3QLLeLx pic.twitter.com/L2r6XWRmMP
— Haryana BJP (@BJP4Haryana) January 29, 2025
Saini took to social media once again to shoot off yet another post on the row, saying that on 5 February, the people of Delhi will immerse all the sins, lies and betrayal of the “AAP-da team”.
कपूत केजरीवाल तेरी हर विफलता के जिम्मेदार हरियाणा के लोग नहीं हैं।हरियाणा के लोग तो पुण्य- कार्य करने वाले हैं ।
पिछले 10 वर्षों में केजरीवाल और उनकी आप-दा टीम ने जो झूठ और फरेब का पाप- कर्म किया है,माता यमुना के साथ विश्वास घात किया है,उन सभी पाप-कर्मों का अंतिम विसर्जन दिल्ली… pic.twitter.com/A41RYcO5JX
— Nayab Saini (@NayabSainiBJP) January 29, 2025
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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