New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday thanked the Chief Justice of India for drawing attention to Delhi’s deteriorating air quality and called for judicial intervention, alleging that the ruling government is masking the severity of the crisis by manipulating air quality data.
Recounting the court’s suo motu cognisance in the matter during the AAP government’s tenure, he questioned why the courts’ vigilance has disappeared in present times.
During a media interaction on Thursday, AAP Delhi chief said, “When the AAP government was in power in Delhi…. the Supreme Court or the High Court would take suo motu cognisance… when pollution levels rose, the judges themselves would intervene. Is the Delhi High Court unable to see today that at all AQI stations across Delhi, water is being sprinkled to create fake readings?”
He further demanded immediate suspension of officials involved in falsifying pollution figures, calling for strict action to restore credibility and protect public health. Bharadwaj said the question of whether the government can reduce pollution is separate, but no government can justify tampering with official pollution data.
Accusing the Delhi government of data fraud, he said, “Authorities such as the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are established to reduce pollution. How can the government openly manipulate pollution data like this?”
The Delhi opposition leader urged the courts to intervene in what he termed a critical public health matter, warning that manipulated pollution data would leave citizens bearing the consequences. “Otherwise, this data manipulation will only increase, people will continue to fall sick, and the BJP government will keep claiming that they have reduced pollution levels,” he added.
