New Delhi, Oct 21 (UNI) The Aam Aadmi Party today sharply criticised the BJP-led Delhi government, alleging it failed to implement promised measures, including artificial rain, to control the severe deterioration of air quality following Diwali.
Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said the government didn’t do anything to curb pollution.
“The BJP government promised that it would tackle pollution by creating artificial rain after Diwali, but failed to deliver on that commitment,” he stated.
He questioned whether the government wished for the people of Delhi to fall ill and speculated about a nexus with private hospitals, alleging systematic weakening of public health facilities.
AAP also took up bursting of firecrackers with Bharadwaj alleging collusion among the government, police, and the “firecracker lobby,” noting that banned firecrackers were sold openly despite Supreme Court orders restricting sales to green crackers only.
“This clearly indicates that the firecracker lobby was pressuring the government to allow their sale. If this took place under police supervision, it points to clear collusion,” he said.
Raising concerns over data transparency, Bharadwaj questioned the unavailability of air quality data from the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee for the night of Diwali.
“Why did most DPCC Air pollution monitoring stations show missing data on Diwali night? Is the government fudging pollution data now?” he asked in a post on social media platform X.
In a jab at Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Bharadwaj said, “When the Chief Minister cannot even pronounce AQI correctly, how can anyone expect her to have any grasp of pollution control?”
AAP leader and former Environment Minister Gopal Rai warned that pollution levels in Delhi have reached a dangerous point, with many areas in the ‘red zone’. He accused the current BJP government of inaction and resorting to excuses.
“The BJP minister said pollution is increasing because it’s coming from nearby areas, but everyone already knows that. The question is: what have the BJP governments in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and the Centre done to stop it?” Rai asked.
He claimed the government failed to prepare a timely Winter Action Plan and has been issuing statements instead of taking coordinated action.
The AAP leaders collectively urged the BJP government to stop making excuses and initiate concrete actions to address the public health crisis.
The BJP government has said that stubble burning is happening in Punjab, which has led to this type of solution.
