Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party blamed Diwali’s firecrackers for Delhi’s air pollution post Diwali.
The AQI (Air Quality Index) crossed 400 in Delhi on Friday (November 5).
AAP leader and MP (Rajya Sabha) Sanjay Singh posted on Twitter on Friday (November 5) “जिनके दिमाग़ में ज़हर होगा वही हवा में ज़हर डालने के लिये पटाखे दगाएँगे वर्ना अपने बच्चों का जीवन जोखिम में डालना कौन सी अक़्लमंदी है?”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malaviya pushed back saying “Aurangzeb, in 1667, had forbidden display of fireworks. In 2021, modern incarnations of the tyrant are trying to ban crackers on Diwali and blaming celebrations for pollution. Aurangzeb didn’t succeed 350 years ago, neither will you. So, focus on the real issues and address them.”
The AAP-led Delhi government had banned firecrackers in the city. Despite the fact that firecrackers are not major pollutants in the city.
The fact remains the stubble burning in the neighbouring Punjab is one of the most important reasons for air pollution in Delhi but AAP did not blame Punjab farmers for it.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which was very hopeful of coming to power in Punjab post 2017 assembly polls, will be contesting the 2022 assembly polls in the state.
Around 40 percent of air pollution is caused because of stubble burning in the neighbouring states.
In fact, the Arvind Kejriwal government has not been taking concrete steps to check Delhi’s air pollution. On Saturday (November 6), they started the token action of sprinkling water using water tankers.
After Sanjay Singh’s statement on Friday (November 5) caused social media uproar, the Aam Aadmi Party tried to do damage control on Saturday (November 6) by blaming stubble for Delhi’s air pollution.
Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai said that firecrackers and stubble burning were two important contributors to Delhi’s air pollution. He also blamed the BJP for instigating people to burst firecrackers.
