New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini’s act of drinking water directly from the Yamuna River has intensified the ongoing political battle over alleged water contamination in Delhi. Saini’s public stunt, filmed and shared widely on social media, was a direct response to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s accusations that the Haryana government was poisoning Delhi’s water supply by releasing highly toxic ammonia into the Yamuna River.
His caption stated that he had drunk Yamuna water on the Haryana border and challenged Delhi CM Atishi to do the same. He further claimed that AAP’s lies were not working and that Delhi’s voters would reject them for spreading misinformation. He accused Kejriwal of being an “ungrateful son” of Haryana.
In a video, Saini is seen at the Yamuna riverbank, briefly splashing water on his face before taking a sip. He then repeats the gesture, sprinkling more water on his body, before consulting with an aide.
“I drank the water of the holy Yamuna on the Haryana border. (Delhi Chief Minister) Atishiji did not come. She must be making up a new lie (but) lies have no legs. That is why the lies of AAP-da (the BJP’s new pejorative for the Aam Aadmi Party) are not working,” Saini wrote on X.
बेहिचक और बेझिझक पवित्र यमुना के जल का आचमन किया हरियाणा की सीमा पर।
आतिशी जी तो आईं नहीं।कोई नया झूठ रच रही होंगी।झूठ के पांव नहीं होते।इसलिए आप-दा का झूठ चल नहीं पा रहा।
दिल्ली की देवतुल्य जनता इन फ़रेबियों को पहचान चुकी है।5 फ़रवरी को आप-दा के फरेब काल का अंत निश्चित है।… pic.twitter.com/EAG4pXjCFr
— Nayab Saini (@NayabSainiBJP) January 29, 2025
“The god-like people of Delhi have recognised these deceivers. The end of AAP’s era of deceit is certain on February 5 (when Delhi votes). People of Delhi will punish Haryana’s ungrateful son, Arvind Kejriwal, because our brotherhood has been strong for centuries…” he added.
Arvind Kejriwal immediately countered Saini’s action on X, accusing him of only pretending to drink the water. Kejriwal asserted that the Haryana CM had merely pretended to drink the contaminated water before spitting it back into the river.
He pointed out that his initial concerns about dangerous ammonia levels in the Yamuna – reaching 7.2 parts per million, 700% above permissible limits (according to Delhi CM Atishi) – had been met with threats of an FIR, instead of action to address the problem.
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
“Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini pretended to drink Yamuna water… and then spat the same water back into the Yamuna. When I said that Yamuna water could be dangerous for the lives of Delhiites due to ammonia contamination, they threatened to file an FIR against me. They want to make the people of Delhi drink the same poisonous water which they themselves cannot drink. I will never let this happen,” he wrote on X.
