Shafaqna India: A Sonepat court has summoned former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal to appear on February 17 over his remarks accusing the BJP-led Haryana government of “poisoning” the Yamuna River. The summons was issued in response to a plea filed by the Haryana Government through the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Goyal directed Kejriwal to submit a response, warning that if he fails to appear, the court will proceed in accordance with the law. The complaint was lodged by Ashish Kaushik, Executive Engineer of the Rai Water Works in Sonepat, who alleged that Kejriwal’s statement spread misinformation and caused unnecessary panic among residents of both Delhi and Haryana.
The petition demands that Kejriwal be prosecuted under Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, along with Sections 353 (public mischief) and 356 (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The complaint further stated that on January 28, villagers near the Yamuna gathered at the Irrigation Department’s office in Sonepat, seeking answers regarding Kejriwal’s allegations. Many cited a viral video in which Kejriwal allegedly claimed that Haryana had “poisoned” the river, but timely detection by Delhi Jal Board officers prevented harm to Delhi’s residents.
Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Vipul Goel condemned Kejriwal’s remarks, calling them “absurd and misleading.” He urged the Election Commission to take strict action, accusing Kejriwal of engaging in “cheap politics” and making baseless allegations to deflect from his own government’s failures in cleaning the Yamuna.
“The water supplied to Delhi is the same that is consumed by the President, Prime Minister, and Union Ministers,” Goel asserted, dismissing Kejriwal’s claims. He further accused the Delhi government of failing to address pollution in the Yamuna and attempting to shift blame onto Haryana for political gain.
