'Drink It If It's Clean': AAP Dares BJP Over Yamuna's Cleanliness Claim

Delhi's Yamuna River has once again become the centre of a political storm. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj challenged the BJP-led government to prove the river is clean ahead of Chhath Puja, daring Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Minister Parvesh Verma to "drink a litre of Yamuna water." 

The BJP hit back sharply, accusing the AAP of wasting over Rs 6,500 crore on failed clean-up projects during its decade-long rule.

Bharadwaj on Sunday alleged the government was misleading the public and relying on the same chemical-spraying method previously criticised by the BJP.

"The chemical which was sprayed by the previous Delhi government is being sprayed by the current government. If Rekha Gupta says the Yamuna is clean, I ask her and Parvesh Verma to come and drink a litre of Yamuna water. I will then be convinced it's clean," he said.

अगर रेखा गुप्ता और परवेश वर्मा कालिंदी कुंज का एक लीटर पानी पी लें, पता चल जाएगा कितनी साफ़ हुई है यमुना

कैमिकल के छिड़काओं से झाग कम होते हैं
प्रदूषण कम नहीं होता , थोड़ा लिख पढ़ लें pic.twitter.com/7zNmMRVYda

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) October 19, 2025

He added that back in 2022, the then BJP MP Parvesh Verma had described the chemical used to reduce foam in the river as "poisonous" when it was deployed by the AAP government.

The BJP responded quickly. Party spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor mocked Bharadwaj's challenge and questioned the AAP's record in Delhi.

"Mr. Saurabh, you are educated too, so please tell us, who drinks water directly from a river using a glass?" Kapoor wrote on X.

"The Aam Aadmi Party deceived people for ten years. What have they done apart from the Rs 6,500-crore scam?" he added, asserting that the Rekha Gupta government would make the Yamuna fit for bathing by 2026.

सौरभ बाबू -- पढ़े लिखे तो आप भी हैं ज़रा बतायें की नदी से ग्लास में लेकर पानी कौन पीता है ?

आप लोग 10 साल से अधिक सत्ता में रहे, यमुना सफाई के बड़े बड़े दावे किए पर किया कुछ नही और उसी का नतीज़ा आज भी दिल्ली के सामने है।@AamAadmiParty ने दस साल यमुना सफाई के नाम पर धोखा दिया,… https://t.co/CXP2nELmA4

— Praveen Shankar Kapoor (@praveenskapoor) October 19, 2025

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva praised the administration's approach, highlighting efforts to revive cultural traditions.

"After a long time, Delhi has chosen a government that understands the sentiments of its people," Sachdeva said, referring to the ongoing Deep Utsav celebrations.

With Chhath Puja approaching, the Yamuna has once again turned into a symbolic battleground. Amid the Bihar elections, the spat over the river raises a bigger question: Will the politics of pollution and performance flow beyond Delhi and influence voters downstream?