New Delhi, Jan 29 (NationPress) A court in Sonipat, Haryana, has mandated that former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appear before it on February 17 in response to a petition filed against the AAP leader, who has accused the BJP of “poisoning” the Yamuna river.

On Wednesday, Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Goyal presided over a complaint brought by the State of Haryana through the State Disaster Management Authority against Kejriwal under Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The complaint contended that Kejriwal disseminated false information, inciting panic among the residents of Delhi and Haryana with his assertion regarding a “poisoned” Yamuna.

“In light of the aforementioned provision, notice to respondent Arvind Kejriwal is to be issued for 17.02.2025. He is instructed to appear in person before this court on the next hearing date, should he wish to present anything regarding the matter. If he fails to appear, it will be assumed he has no statements to make, and further proceedings will follow the law,” the court stated.

Previously, Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Vipul Goel stated that the state government has taken serious notice of Kejriwal's remarks regarding Delhi's water supply and has initiated legal action against him in the Sonipat court under the Disaster Management Act.

In the lead-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP was ‘mixing poison’ into the city's water supply to create chaos, anticipating that the blame would be shifted onto his party's administration.

“The citizens of Delhi receive drinking water from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh... but the Haryana government has tainted the water flowing to Delhi from the Yamuna, and it was through the diligence of our Delhi Jal Board engineers that this water was halted,” the former Chief Minister stated.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Delhi on Wednesday, also criticized AAP regarding its accusations. PM Modi firmly denied the claim that Haryana was contaminating the Yamuna's water and mocked the idea that the BJP-led state government would poison its own population.

In response to the allegations, the Haryana Chief Minister also condemned Kejriwal. “Chief Minister Atishi Marlena ji from AAP, you are invited to the banks of the Yamuna in Palla village. There is no poison in the water supplied to Delhi from Haryana, but your minds are undoubtedly filled with poison,” he remarked.

As the controversy surrounding the Yamuna River escalates, the Haryana Chief Minister drank water from the river near the Delhi border and further criticized Kejriwal for “spreading lies”.

"I drank the water from the sacred Yamuna at the Haryana border without any hesitation. Kejriwal has lied egregiously. I even have relatives in Delhi. The AAP leader should promptly apologize," the Haryana Chief Minister expressed on social media.