Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, accusing him of engaging in politics by issuing a notice over his claim that the Haryana government was "mixing poison" in the Yamuna.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Kejriwal alleged that Kumar had "destroyed" the credibility of the Election Commission (EC) and was seeking a post-retirement position.

His remarks came shortly after the EC rejected his response to its notice and granted him another opportunity to substantiate his allegations against the Haryana government.

"No one has harmed the Election Commission as much as Rajiv Kumar. If he wants, he can contest elections from any Delhi Assembly seat," Kejriwal said.

Reaffirming his stance on the Yamuna issue, the former Delhi chief minister declared, "I will not let the people of Delhi drink poisonous water as long as I am alive. I know they will arrest me in two days, but I am not afraid," he said, without naming anyone.

Granting Kejriwal another opportunity to substantiate his claims, the Commission directed him to present specific and factual evidence regarding the alleged poisoning. The ECI asked for details on the type, quantity, and nature of the alleged poison, along with information on how Delhi Jal Board engineers detected it, by Friday at 11AM. Failure to comply, the Commission warned, would lead to an appropriate decision on the matter.

The poll body emphasized that ensuring clean and sufficient water is a governance responsibility, urging all governments to focus on securing water resources rather than engaging in disputes. It also noted that water-sharing and pollution issues are long-standing governance matters already covered under Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal directives and should not be politicized during elections.

Kejriwal, in his response to the ECI on Wednesday, defended his remarks, claiming they were made in "furtherance of an imperative public duty" to highlight the hazardous contamination of Delhi’s water supply from Haryana, which he said posed a "direct threat to public health." 

Meanwhile, both the BJP and Congress have lodged formal complaints with the ECI against Kejriwal, accusing him of making baseless and inflammatory allegations.