Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva’s criticism of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took an unexpected turn when he fell ill just two days after his symbolic dip in the polluted Yamuna River. The BJP leader aimed to spotlight Delhi’s water pollution and target former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s unmet promise of a cleaner Yamuna by 2025, yet he soon found himself hospitalized at RML Nursing Home with reported skin rashes and breathing issues.

The incident has added another twist to the ongoing AAP-BJP rivalry over the river’s pollution, with both sides pointing fingers just days ahead of Delhi’s Chhath Puja festivities. BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor explained Sachdeva’s river plunge as an effort to shame the AAP for its alleged failures. However, AAP countered, calling the dip a publicity stunt and claiming Sachdeva’s complaints of breathing trouble and skin irritation were simply “theatrics.”

On the day of the dip, the BJP staged an empty seat protest at the Chhath Ghat, complete with two unoccupied chairs for current Chief Minister Atishi and her predecessor, Kejriwal, setting a scene to dramatize their absence.

Sachdeva’s hospitalization may have put him on the defensive in his campaign to highlight the Yamuna’s condition, but the BJP’s demand for action on pollution remains. For now, Delhiites may only wonder if this “water challenge” will inspire more political leaders to wade in—or serve as a cautionary tale for those planning any public dips in Delhi’s waters.