Delhi’s political landscape heats up as BJP and AAP leaders clash over severe post-Diwali air pollution, trading accusations of corruption, administrative failure, and anti-religious sentiment while AQI levels soar across the region.
BJP-AAP Clash Over Delhi’s Pollution Crisis
New Delhi [India], November 9 (ANI): Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra launched a scathing attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that a campaign was being orchestrated at Kejriwal’s residence to target the Hindu festival of Diwali and Sanatan Dharma under the pretext of pollution. In a post on X, Mishra claimed that leaders and paid celebrities would be rolled out to run a targeted narrative.
“Word is that a meeting has been called at Kejriwal’s place. Starting tonight, a campaign will be launched to hurl abuse at Hindus’ festival of Diwali and Sanatan Dharma. Some of Kejriwal’s leaders and celebrities bought with money will run a campaign against Diwali and Hindus from morning onward,” Mishra wrote.
Accusing the AAP leadership of deflecting responsibility over deteriorating air quality in northern India, the BJP leader alleged that pollution in Delhi and Punjab was the outcome of administrative failures and graft. “I want to tell Kejriwal that you know the truth too: the pollution in Delhi and Punjab is due to years of your corruption,” Mishra added. Issuing a warning to the former Delhi Chief Minister, he said, “I urge Kejriwal not to run a campaign against Hindus and Diwali, and not to commit the sin of having your petty leaders hurl abuse at Sanatan Dharma.”
AAP Hits Back at Central Government
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj launched a sharp attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Central government as air quality in the national capital deteriorated sharply following Diwali celebrations, accusing the Centre of evading its responsibility to tackle pollution across northern India for the past decade. In a series of posts on X, the AAP leader pointed out that hazardous air quality affects multiple northern states and questioned when the Central government would step up to address the regional crisis.
“For the last 10 years, the Central Govt has been running away from its duty to control pollution in North India. The top 100 most polluted cities of the world, or the top 10, are mostly cities of North India — UP, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab. So it’s the Central Govt that should work on pollution. For 10 years, they used to blame Delhi; now they are blaming Punjab. When will the Central Govt take its responsibility?” Bharadwaj posted.
Taking aim at the widespread violation of the Supreme Court’s firecracker restrictions, the former Delhi minister claimed that pollution monitors had reached their maximum limits. “Pollution 999. Pollution readings reach their max on display. No one wants to stop at 10 PM. The Supreme Court knew the time limit of burning crackers cannot be enforced,” he wrote.
In a subsequent post, Bharadwaj took a swipe at BJP leaders while sharing his personal arrangements to cope with the severe air toxicity. “AQI 7 on Diwali. There is a hall with Air Purifiers; inside the hall, there is another smaller room with 2 Air Purifiers. That’s my hack to save my life from all those Nakli Sanatanis who want to kill our children by choking in poisonous air. Waiting to watch videos of Kapil Mishra, Manoj Tiwari, Rekha Gupta while bursting crackers. Thank you, BJP,” he stated. In another post highlighting the spike in pollution metrics, Bharadwaj remarked sarcastically: “AQI 3000 paar. Full credit to these brothers who raised pollution beyond 3000.”
The worsening air quality comes after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Friday invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR, two days ahead of Diwali, amid concerns over further deterioration in pollution levels. (ANI)
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