‘Yamuna ki jai‘ – Prime Minister Narendra Modi began, and ended, his victory address to party workers in the Delhi polls with an invocation to Yamuna, the river whose cleanliness has been a hot-button poll issue for all the parties.
Parvesh Verma, the BJP candidate who emerged as a giant slayer by beating Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency, has promised to clean the Yamuna river if his party is voted to power.
The BJP, ending its nearly three-decade wait in the national capital, emerged as the largest party in the polls, winning 48 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party is down at 22, from the 62 it won in the 2020 polls.
“The existence of Delhi itself has flourished in the lap of Mother Yamuna. The people of Delhi have been crying after seeing the condition of Yamuna as the AAP-DA in Delhi has insulted this faith. For their own failure, such a big accusation has been made on the people of Haryana,” said the Prime Minister, alluding to the sensational charge against Haryana made by Mr Kejriwal.
मैंने चुनाव प्रचार के दौरान संकल्प लिया है कि हम यमुना जी को दिल्ली की पहचान बनाएंगे।#दिल्ली_के_दिल_में_मोदी pic.twitter.com/rV58PxAkTr
— Parvesh Sahib Singh (@p_sahibsingh) February 8, 2025
In the run-up to the polls, Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the Haryana government was mixing “poison in the Yamuna” river. Mr Kejriwal now faces a police case in Haryana for the said comments.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini drank the water from the river near the Delhi border and slammed Mr Kejriwal for “spreading lies”.
“I drank the water of the holy Yamuna on the border of Haryana without any hesitation. Kejriwal has blatantly lied. Even I’m having relatives in Delhi. The AAP convener should immediately tender an apology,” the Haryana Chief Minister wrote last week on X.
With only Punjab in his pocket, Mr Kejriwal’s national hopes for himself and his party have been arrested – at least for the moment.
“I have pledged during the election campaign that we will make Yamuna ji the identity of Delhi. I know this is not very difficult. No matter how much time is taken, no matter how much energy is used, but if the resolve is strong, then blessings of Yamuna ji will remain with us,” assured the Prime Minister in his victory address.
During poll campaign, PM Modi had termed the AAP chief’s allegations “disgusting”, adding that he has been drinking the Yamuna water for 11 years.
“Can anyone imagine that the BJP government in Haryana was trying to poison me? asked PM Modi.
PM Modi said not only the people of Delhi but also diplomats and judges staying in the national capital drink the same water that comes from Haryana.