As AQI dips in Delhi, finger-pointing and political blame game begins

On his part, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia blamed what he termed was Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s “carelessness” regarding the issue. He said, “On November 3, 2022, there was similar pollution. The central government was providing full assistance to the governments of Punjab and Delhi to take concrete steps to control it but the useless Kejriwal and Punjab governments did nothing in this regard.”

Meanwhile, Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely sought to hold both the BJP and AAP governments responsible for the “life-threatening air pollution”. He also demanded a criminal case against those responsible for the severe air pollution resulting out of “gross negligence”.

“The city is confronting an explosive situation due to air pollution… Children and old people suffering serious respiratory illness while the BJP and Delhi governments indulge in blame games without taking urgent steps,” he alleged.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva took aim at Lovely for acting like the “B Team” of the AAP government. “Lovely should ask his new political mentor, Kejriwal, why his government has not bought a single bus for DTC in last 9 years… winter pollution problem due to parali burning first began during Congress rule in Delhi,” he alleged.