New Delhi: Delhi’s post-Diwali pollution crisis has triggered a political confrontation, with the BJP, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress trading accusations over the worsening air quality and the government’s response.
Delhi minister and BJP leader Kapil Mishra accused AAP leaders of deliberately encouraging farm fires in Punjab to increase pollution in the national capital. He alleged that an investigation into the matter could even result in the arrest of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The Opposition, meanwhile, accused the BJP government of failing to control pollution and manipulating air quality data. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera questioned why several monitoring stations had stopped displaying real-time pollution readings when air quality was deteriorating.
According to Central Pollution Control Board data available on the Sameer application, Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 373 at 11.05 pm on Sunday. Several locations, including Alipur, Bawana, Burari, Chandni Chowk, Mundka, Punjabi Bagh, Rohini and Vivek Vihar, recorded AQI levels above 400.
Khera claimed that PM2.5 readings were unavailable at 25 of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations between 2 am and 3 am. He questioned whether the equipment had been switched off or whether pollution levels had exceeded the monitoring capacity, demanding an explanation from the government.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also accused the administration of manipulating pollution figures. Sharing a video, he claimed that the AQI had crossed 3,000, although this was not an official citywide reading. He warned that misleading pollution data could put residents at serious health risk.
Bharadwaj also criticised the Rekha Gupta government’s proposal for artificial rain, arguing that it would not provide a lasting solution.
The BJP rejected the Opposition’s allegations. BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal accused Congress and AAP of selectively targeting Hindu festivals over pollution while ignoring their own governance record. He pointed out that Congress governed Delhi for 15 years and AAP for 10 years without implementing adequate long-term measures.
Meanwhile, Stage 3 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan had already been imposed as a precautionary measure ahead of Diwali. The political blame game continues as Delhi residents struggle with hazardous air quality.
