BJP MP Manoj Tiwari took a dip in the Yamuna and tasted its water at Sonia Vihar in Delhi on Thursday, claiming that the river's pollution load had reduced by half under the Rekha Gupta-led government. The move triggered a fresh political confrontation between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the progress of the river's clean-up.The BJP's Delhi unit claimed that the government had achieved in two years what the Congress and AAP could not accomplish in 27 years.

In a post on X, the party said that the Delhi BJP government had cleaned more than half of the Yamuna in just two years and promised to clean the remaining stretch soon.The party also highlighted Tiwari's dip in the river, claiming that the BJP MP had demonstrated the improved condition of the Yamuna over a 30-km stretch. It challenged AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to take a dip in the river.Tiwari, the BJP MP from the North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, said the river's condition had improved because of the cleaning work undertaken by the BJP government.

He also claimed that the presence of migratory birds at certain points along the river indicated an improvement in water quality. "These birds would not have come here if the river wasn't clean," he asserted.Tiwari said he had performed aachman by tasting Yamuna water at Sonia Vihar. He praised the BJP government for its efforts and accused the previous AAP government of failing to clean the river. "AAP used to blame Haryana for polluting the river.

Since the BJP came to power, it has cleaned half of the river in one-and-a-half years," Tiwari said, adding that the government would complete the remaining cleaning work in the next three years.During his visit to Sonia Vihar ghat, Tiwari also sang a folk song and invited people celebrating Chhath Puja to return to the Yamuna to offer prayers.AAP challenges BJP leaders to drink water at Kalindi KunjThe AAP hit back at the BJP's claims, questioning whether the water at Sonia Vihar represented the condition of the entire river in Delhi.AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said the stretch of the Yamuna between Palla and Wazirabad had historically been comparatively clean. He also claimed that the water in this stretch was cleaner during the AAP government's tenure, citing Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) reports."These BJP leaders know nothing about Delhi.

It is well known that the 26-km stretch of the Yamuna from Palla to Wazirabad has always been comparatively clean. It was cleaner during the AAP government, even according to DPCC reports," Bharadwaj wrote on X.Bharadwaj challenged Tiwari and Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma to drink water at Kalindi Kunj ghat, near the Okhla barrage, where the river faces severe pollution."I invite Manoj Tiwari and Water Minister Parvesh Verma to drink water at Kalindi Kunj ghat near the Okhla barrage.

Last year too, they ran away from the challenge," he said.The Yamuna becomes increasingly polluted as it flows downstream through Delhi. The 22-km stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla is considered highly polluted and has remained a major focus of multiple policy interventions.BJP announces projects to clean Yamuna by May 2029The political exchange comes amid ongoing efforts by the Delhi government to clean the river, which flows for around 52 km through the national capital.A few days ago, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched 43 projects worth Rs 8,941 crore aimed at cleaning the Yamuna.

He pledged that the BJP government would ensure that the stretch of the river in Delhi was cleaned by May 2029.Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma has also acknowledged that cleaning the entire river would take time. He said the government had never claimed that the Yamuna was completely clean and estimated that the process would take around two-and-a-half to three years.The minister said the stretch between Palla and Wazirabad had been completely cleaned, while work was underway on the section between Wazirabad and Kalindi Kunj.The BJP has presented Tiwari's visit to Sonia Vihar as evidence of progress in its clean-up efforts, while the AAP has questioned the significance of demonstrating water quality in a stretch it says has traditionally been cleaner.

The rival claims have once again put the spotlight on the condition of the Yamuna and the challenge of cleaning its heavily polluted stretches in Delhi.- Ends