New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), dismissing its claims that the Haryana government had "poisoned" the Yamuna River. He stated that he himself drinks the same Yamuna water. Addressing a public meeting in Delhi's Kartar Nagar, PM Modi came down heavily on the AAP for misleading the people of Delhi. Referring to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's allegations that Haryana was "poisoning" the Yamuna, PM Modi called it a "grave sin" for political gain.

"A former Delhi Chief Minister has made serious allegations against the people of Haryana. Out of fear of defeat, AAPda has lost its mental stability. Are Haryana's people any different from Delhi? Don't their families and relatives live here? Can they poison the water that their own families drink?" the Prime Minister questioned. Taking a direct jibe at the claim, PM Modi said, "This Prime Minister also drinks the same water. Foreign diplomats, ambassadors, and even Delhi's poor drink the same water. Does AAP think the BJP government in Haryana would poison the water to kill Modi? What kind of absurd claim is this? Was there a conspiracy to poison the judges of this country as well? Delhiites, those who deliberately commit such sins are neither forgiven by Delhi nor by the nation."

Calling the allegations an insult to the nation, PM Modi said, "This is not just an insult to Haryana; this is an insult to India, to our values, and to our character. In this country, offering water is considered a sacred duty. But these people, fearing electoral defeat, are resorting to such baseless allegations." Predicting a political backlash, he said, "This time, Delhi will teach a lesson to those spreading such lies. Their boat will sink in this very Yamuna." The Prime Minister also highlighted the achievements of the BJP governments in different states. "There are many people in the country who were still deprived of basic facilities like toilets, roads, gas connections, bank accounts, and electricity. Many people from Uttarakhand live here in Delhi. Uttarakhand, nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, has a difficult mountainous terrain. When we formed a government there, we ensured that every village got roads. Now, the youth are returning to their villages," he said.

Highlighting his government's achievements, PM Modi said, "Before I came to power in 2014, only 3 crore rural households had tap connections. In the last five years alone, 12 crore new families have received tap water. This scheme existed during Congress rule, but we expanded it from 3 crore to 12 crore in just five years. We don’t stop schemes; we strengthen them." Taking aim at the AAP's handling of Delhi's water crisis, he remarked, "If even the remotest villages in India can get clean tap water, why is Delhi’s tap water undrinkable? Forget drinking water, even the water supplied for daily use is dirty. If the BJP can provide tap water to remote villages, we can ensure clean tap water for every household in Delhi too."

Lashing out at AAP's unfulfilled promises, PM Modi said, "AAPda has left Delhi at the mercy of the water mafia. They have sought votes in three elections in the name of cleaning the Yamuna, and even today, they continue to make the same false promises. Their shamelessness is shocking. They deliberately want Delhi's residents to struggle for water. Our Purvanchal friends are forced to worship Chhathi Maiya amid filth every year due to their failures."

/IANS