Delhi Assembly Polls: BJP's Prajesh Verma immerses Kejriwal's cutout in Yamuna

The cut-out depicts Kejriwal holding his ears and apologizing, with a message stating, "Main fail ho gaya, mujhe vote mat dena. Main 2025 tak Yamuna saaf nahi kar paaya".

BJP candidate from the New Delhi assembly constituency, Parvesh Verma, took a jibe at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, immersing a cut-out of the Delhi Chief Minister in the Yamuna River as part of his protest over the ongoing pollution issue.

The cut-out of Kejriwal shows him holding his ears and apologising with a message reading, “Main fail ho gaya, mujhe vote mat dena. Main 2025 tak Yamuna saaf nahi kar paaya". Verma slammed the AAP government for its unfulfilled promise to clean the Yamuna River, claiming that the problem was not as complex as it had been made out to be. “It’s not rocket science,” the BJP candidate remarked, adding that the river has accumulated 88 meters of sludge, which could be cleared with machinery.

Verma alleged that despite Rs 8,500 crores allocated for the cleanup effort, no significant work had been done so far, pointing to the lack of visible progress. He urged Delhi voters to support the BJP in the upcoming elections, highlighting the party’s commitment to addressing the Yamuna pollution issue. “Please save Delhi. On February 5, you will have the chance to press the lotus button and elect a BJP government that can truly clean the Yamuna,” Verma stated.

He also unveiled his proposals for the riverfront, which include setting up water treatment plants along the 28 kilometers of the river where drains empty into it, creating permanent ghats on both sides, and planting nearly 10 lakh trees to help purify the water. Verma also drew a parallel to the successful development of the Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the same could be achieved for the Yamuna in Delhi.

While the BJP has blamed the AAP for mismanaging the cleanup efforts, despite the substantial funding from the central government, the AAP has pointed fingers at the BJP-ruled Haryana government for contributing to the pollution by releasing untreated industrial wastewater into the Yamuna.

Verma is contesting against Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency, where the election will see a triangular contest involving Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit as well.