During the ongoing Chhath Puja celebrations in Delhi, BJP MLA Ravinder Singh Negi made headlines after slipping into the Yamuna River while attempting to film a reel promoting river cleanliness. In the short clip, Negi is seen holding two bottles and saying, “paani pike dikhani hai” (should drink the water and show) just moments before losing his balance. Though a bystander rushed to help, Negi eventually managed to pull himself out using a wooden structure, emerging soaked but unharmed.

AAP Mocks BJP MLA

The video quickly drew sharp reactions from political rivals. AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha shared the clip on X and mocked the BJP, saying, “Making empty promises has become a profession for BJP leaders of the national capital. He has even surpassed the peak of lies. Perhaps, fed up with this politics of lies and pretense, Yamuna Maiyya has called him to her side herself.”

This incident has intensified the ongoing debate between BJP and AAP over the condition of the Yamuna. Last week, AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj challenged Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Minister Parvesh Verma to drink a litre of river water to prove its cleanliness, asserting, “The chemical that 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.”

BJP Defends River-Cleaning Efforts

In defense, the BJP accused AAP of wasting over Rs 6,500 crore on unsuccessful river-cleanup initiatives during their decade-long rule. Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma highlighted improvements in water quality, pointing to a drop in faecal coliform levels from 28,000 units to 8,000 at ISBT and similar declines at Okhla and Agra Canal. He credited government efforts, including the removal of 20 lakh metric tonnes of silt from key drains, for better water flow and reduced pollution.

The AAP countered with a DPCC report from October 23, stating the river remained unfit for bathing and contained high levels of human waste. Bharadwaj also cited temporary water diversion from Haryana as a potential factor for rising pollution. Verma rebutted these claims, highlighting that during AAP’s tenure, faecal coliform levels were as high as 80 lakh units at some locations, compared to 8,000 this year, showcasing the effectiveness of the current administration’s river-cleaning measures.