New Delhi: Amid former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s claim of cleaning up the Yamuna River ahead of the assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a boat ride in the river and spoke to locals about the issue. Gandhi posted a video of his visit on X, highlighting the pollution in the Yamuna.
Gandhi titled the video, “Kejriwal ji, 2025 has arrived. When will you take a dip in the Yamuna? Delhi is waiting!” During this, Rahul Gandhi said “In the last election, Kejriwal had promised to take a dip in the Yamuna. However, now that 2025 has arrived, five years have passed since this announcement. When will he fulfill his promise?”
केजरीवाल जी, अब तो 2025 आ गया। आप यमुना में डुबकी कब लगाएंगे?
दिल्ली इंतज़ार कर रही है! pic.twitter.com/yongNyHzL2
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 30, 2025
‘Yamuna remains heavily polluted’
The Congress leader said that the Yamuna is filled with garbage and pollution and Kejriwal has done nothing to clean it. He said that cleaning the Yamuna is merely a slogan and a way to make money. While speaking with the locals, he asked how many people visit the river. In response, they said that many people used to come earlier, but now the water has become so dirty that fewer people visit. The residents also said that they have to bathe in the polluted water.
Rahul Gandhi’s comment comes in the wake of Kejriwal’s high-profile campaign pledges to restore the Yamuna to its original, unpolluted state. However, critics argue that despite these repeated assurances, the river’s pollution has only worsened over time.
Nadda’s attack on Kejriwal
BJP president JP Nadda has launched a sharp attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of fostering divisions between states and misleading people about water quality. Responding to Kejriwal’s claim that Haryana is polluting Delhi’s water supply, Nadda dismissed it as an attempt to provoke conflict and labeled it “anti-national.”
He called on voters to defeat Kejriwal and his party in the upcoming elections on February 5. Additionally, Nadda alleged that Kejriwal was involved in an ₹8,000 crore scam linked to the Yamuna cleanup, arguing that despite the massive expenditure, pollution and foam in the river persist. Delhi’s 70-seat Assembly will go to polls on February 5, with votes set to be counted on February 8.
