Rush Hour: EC says Kejriwal did not prove Yamuna poisoning claim, midair accident in US and more

The Election Commission has said that Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal did not provide proof for his claim that the Haryana government was poisoning the Yamuna water supplied to Delhi. The poll panel stated that even with “the most sober interpretation”, his allegation appeared to promote disharmony.

The former chief minister was asked to submit a “specific and pointed reply” with evidence by 11 am on Friday. The commission first sought proof on Tuesday after a complaint from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Kejriwal responded that he had not broken any laws and was raising public health concerns.

The Election Commission on Thursday asked Kejriwal to explain what kind of poison was allegedly mixed by the Haryana government in the Yamuna river, where it was detected and by which engineers of the Delhi Jal Board. Elections to the Delhi Assembly are scheduled to take place on February 5. Votes will be counted on February 8. Read on.

A group of 160 academics, artists and activists have issued a statement demanding the release of activist Umar Khalid and others arrested for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The signatories included writer Amitav Ghosh, actor Naseeruddin Shah, historian Romila Thapar, economist Jayati Ghosh, peace activist Harsh Mander and political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot.

Khalid has…

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