‘What to expect from CM who can’t even pronounce AQI’: AAP Delhi chief on pollution after Diwali

AAP’s Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday hit out at the BJP-led Delhi Government over the rise in air pollution levels after Diwali, alleging that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta lacked understanding of the issue.

“In the app that I have, the AQI has crossed 600. But what can we expect from a CM who cannot even pronounce AQI correctly?” Bharadwaj said.

He accused the government of running a “propaganda campaign” despite using the same chemical solution to reduce foam in the Yamuna that the AAP government had previously used.

“They are using the same chemical to reduce foam that we used, yet they are creating a kind of propaganda. The CM has no understanding at all,” he remarked.

Bharadwaj also took aim at the BJP’s social media narratives surrounding Diwali celebrations, saying, “Every year, Arvind Kejriwal used to celebrate Diwali with magnificent Ram Leelas. But now, BJP people on social media are writing that in post-Independence India, for the first time, there is a Hindu government.”

He questioned the claim, saying, “Was Saheb Singh Verma Muslim? Was Madan Lal Khurana Muslim? Was Sushma Swaraj Muslim? They should have spared them at least. They don’t even consider their three tall leaders who are no longer with us as Hindu.”

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), air quality across the capital dipped into the “severe” and “hazardous” categories early Monday morning.

Meanwhile, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 943 in Anand Vihar and 390 in Shahdara, Delhi minister Ashish Sood said it would be wrong to blame only firecrackers for the city’s choking air.

“The AQI in Anand Vihar around 5 am was 943 and 390 in Shahdara. Only firecrackers are not responsible for pollution in Delhi,” Sood said on Monday morning.

He urged citizens to follow the Supreme Court’s order restricting the bursting of crackers before 10 pm. “People should have followed the SC’s order to burst crackers before 10 pm,” he added.

Sood said that Delhi’s pollution levels were influenced by multiple factors, including weather conditions and emissions from neighbouring states. “Delhi has no weather of its own; many factors determine the weather and pollution levels here, and adjacent states also have a role to play,” he said.