Yamuna dead fish row: Delhi BJP minister Sirsa points finger at AAP

• Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused AAP leaders of dumping dead fish into the Yamuna to discredit the BJP government during Chhath Puja festivities

• Sirsa linked the accusation to claims of progress on river cleaning, waste removal and air quality under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta

• The supplied report contains no independent verification of the accusation or the environmental claims, and no response from AAP

Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Friday accused Aam Aadmi Party leaders of dumping dead fish into the Yamuna to undermine the BJP government’s claims of progress in cleaning the river, bringing Chhath Puja festivities into the political confrontation over Delhi’s environmental record.

In a video posted on X, Sirsa targeted AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and the party’s leadership, claiming they were attempting to discredit the administration of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

The supplied report offers no independently verified evidence establishing that AAP leaders arranged the dumping of fish. It also contains no response from the party.

Sirsa claimed that fish bought from markets were being brought to the river and dumped there, and referred to videos that he said showed such activity. The report does not establish who filmed the videos, where they were recorded or whether they substantiate his accusation against AAP.

Invoking the religious significance of Chhath, the minister said such actions would disrespect devotees preparing to offer arghya, or ritual oblations, at the river.

He also questioned the appearance of white-coloured dead fish in the Yamuna, suggesting they had been brought from elsewhere. However, the colour of the fish alone does not establish their origin or how they died.

Sirsa framed his accusation as a response to what he described as the BJP government’s achievements. He claimed that 60 per cent of the Yamuna had been cleaned and said the operation of a cruise service on the river had unsettled the opposition.

He further claimed that 60 per cent of Delhi’s garbage had been cleared and that pollution levels were falling. The report provides no supporting measurements, assessment period or explanation of how the river-cleaning and waste-removal percentages were calculated.

On air quality, Sirsa said Delhi had experienced its cleanest October in a decade, with the lowest average air quality index for the month over that period. He also described conditions following Diwali as unusually clear. These assertions were not accompanied by monitoring data in the supplied account.

The minister contrasted those claims with AAP’s decade in office, accusing its leadership of trying to divert attention from its own performance.

He also revisited restrictions imposed by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Chhath rituals along the Yamuna during the previous AAP administration. Sirsa accused that government of threatening devotees with FIRs and said cases had been registered against people who attempted to celebrate at the riverbank.

The report does not specify the dates, circumstances or stated grounds for those restrictions or cases.

In a political appeal aimed at separating AAP’s workers from its leadership, Sirsa described ordinary party workers as well-intentioned and urged them to oppose any such activity by their leaders.

He also appealed to people from the Purvanchal region not to participate in acts that could affect the festival or the river.

Sirsa’s intervention places the condition of the Yamuna, the BJP government’s environmental claims and access to Chhath rituals at the centre of his attack on AAP. Whether his specific accusation is supported by evidence, and how AAP responds, remain unanswered in the supplied report.

With IANS inputs