Delhi’s air quality has taken a serious turn, prompting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to voice his concerns. He has urged both the central BJP government and the Delhi government to take concrete steps to improve the alarming situation. Gandhi expressed his dismay on X, stating that Delhi’s air is becoming “increasingly poisonous” and that the ruling BJP keeps offering excuses, despite being in power in both the centre and the capital. He emphasized the public’s demand for clean air, asserting that there are no more excuses to be made.
Gandhi further elaborated on the issue in a video, discussing the air pollution crisis with an environmentalist near India Gate. He shared his personal experience of breathing difficulties and eye irritation due to the poor air quality, even mentioning his consideration of moving his mother, Sonia Gandhi, out of Delhi because of the pollution levels.
In response to Gandhi’s remarks, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa criticized the Congress leader. Sirsa reminded Gandhi that Delhi’s air quality began to decline during the Congress party’s 15-year rule and further worsened under the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) decade-long tenure. He claimed that the most polluted days were recorded during the combined 25 years of Congress and AAP governance in Delhi.
Sirsa asserted that the current government, led by the BJP, has achieved the cleanest air days in the past decade. He accused Gandhi of deliberately trying to defame Delhi and its government, emphasizing that the air quality problem originated with the Congress and its ally, the AAP. The minister further highlighted that despite an increase in vehicles and construction activities, the AQI is currently at its lowest under the BJP’s governance.
The article notes that as of Tuesday morning, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the ‘very poor’ category across various locations, with Anand Vihar recording an AQI of 392 and Burari at 393. The overall AQI for Delhi was reported as 309 on Monday afternoon.