Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi’s ‘silence’ as Delhi battles severe air pollution

Every mother I meet tells me the same thing: her child is growing up breathing toxic air. They are exhausted, scared and angry.

Modi ji, India’s children are choking in front of us. How can you stay silent? Why does your government show no urgency, no plan, no accountability?… pic.twitter.com/HR87tlHQ1f

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 28, 2025

He also demanded a strict, enforceable action plan to tackle air pollution and asked why the Modi government was not showing any urgency or accountability on the issue.

The Leader of Opposition reiterated his demand for an immediate parliamentary debate and a concrete action plan, saying, “Our children deserve clean air, not excuses and distractions.” He also asserted that “Our children deserve clean air – not excuses and distractions.”

Delhi air quality in free fall

Delhi’s air quality continued to be in the ‘very poor’ category Friday, with the city’s overall AQI rising to 384. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed several monitoring stations across the capital crossing the 400 mark. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settled at 377 on Thursday, compared to 327 on Wednesday, 352 on Tuesday and 382 on Monday, remaining in the ‘very poor’ category for the 14th consecutive day.

Delhi has been battling very poor air quality from the past 15 days.

According to the forecast by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the air quality is likely to remain ‘very poor’ over the coming week.

Several stations saw a sharp spike in AQI, slipping into the ‘severe’ category: Anand Vihar (411), Bawana (414), Chandni Chowk (407), Narela (407), JLN Stadium (401), Burari (402), Ashok Vihar (417) and Aya Nagar (402). Other stations reported AQI levels at the higher end of the ‘very poor’ range, including ITO (396), Alipur (355), IGI Airport (360) and Najafgarh (361). The capital has now recorded poor air quality for 14 consecutive days.