New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday has instructed the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal, to provide proof for his claim that the water in the Yamuna River has been contaminated.

The Election Commission, responding to a complaint filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has set a deadline for Kejriwal to submit the evidence by 8 pm tomorrow. The Commission's letter emphasised that this is a serious allegation, which could potentially provoke tensions between states, and warned that such claims could be punishable by up to three years in prison.

In addition, the Commission has requested a separate report from the Haryana government regarding the presence of ammonia in the Yamuna's waters.

EC also asked Kejriwal to share details of his claim that engineers of Delhi Jal Board had actually detected and prevented it on time.

Previously, Asserting that Kejriwal has suggested "mass genocide" through his remarks, the Congress delegation demanded that the election commission hold a probe to ascertain the veracity of the claims.

If the allegation made by Kejriwal was found to be false, an FIR should be registered against him for "spreading rumour" during the election campaign, which would be "a clear-cut violation of the Model Code of Conduct", it said.

Kejriwal had alleged on Monday that the ruling BJP in Haryana was mixing poison in the water and sending it to Delhi. "If people in Delhi drink this water, many will die. Can anything be more disgusting than this," he said on X.

(Agency inputs)