As Delhi’s Yamuna river remains a hot topic in the ongoing Delhi Assembly elections, BJP candidate Parvesh Verma launched a creative and dramatic attack on Arvind Kejriwal, the former Chief Minister, for failing to address the issue of Yamuna river pollution.
The Stunt: A Life-Size Cut-Out of Kejriwal in the Yamuna
On Saturday morning, Parvesh Verma, a BJP candidate from the New Delhi Assembly constituency, took to the Yamuna River with a life-size cut-out of Arvind Kejriwal. The cut-out depicted the Delhi CM with his hand to his ear, accompanied by a slogan that read: “Main fail ho gaya, mujhe vote mat dena, 2025 tak main Yamuna saaf nai kar paya” (I am a failure, Don’t vote for me as I failed to clean Yamuna River by 2025).
Verma and his colleagues submerged the cut-out multiple times in the river, drawing attention from the media and public alike.
BJP’s Accusations and Solution
Verma seized on the failure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to meet its promise of cleaning the Yamuna River by 2025. He criticized Kejriwal and his government, saying, “We can clean all the water of Yamuna Maaiya. Cleaning it is not rocket science. All the silt should be removed by machines, sewage treatment plants should be built, and water treatment plants should be constructed. Just like Prime Minister Modi Ji built the Sabarmati Riverfront, we can build a Yamuna Riverfront in the same way.”
The Political Landscape: Yamuna Pollution Takes Center Stage
The pollution of the Yamuna River has been a long-standing issue for Delhi, with opposition parties now taking advantage of the frustration among residents over the AAP government’s failure to address the crisis. BJP and other opposition parties are focusing on the Yamuna’s condition as a key electoral issue.
Verma’s statements reflect a broader political sentiment that the river’s pollution could significantly impact the results of the upcoming election. He emphasized that 11 years is more than enough time to resolve the problem.
Political Responses: A Heated Debate
The Yamuna pollution issue has sparked a flurry of political reactions. Earlier, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav defended Kejriwal against attacks from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, mocking his criticism of the AAP leader and questioning whether Yogi Adityanath would drink water from the Yamuna in Mathura.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate Alka Lamba, contesting from Kalkaji Assembly, accused both the BJP and Congress of turning the Yamuna river into a political issue. She expressed that if Congress were given a chance, they would focus on cleaning the river instead of blaming the people of Purvanchal, as Kejriwal had done.
Upcoming Delhi Elections
The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 5, 2025, with the vote counting set for February 8. A total of 699 candidates are vying for the 70 seats in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, with Yamuna river pollution emerging as one of the key issues at the heart of political debates.
