Delhi Air Quality Crisis: AAP and Congress Criticize Government as Smog Obscures India Gate

In the face of Delhi’s worsening air quality, marked by ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ Air Quality Index (AQI) readings for days, political parties have escalated their attacks on the government. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) highlighted the severity of the smog by sharing a picture of a barely visible India Gate, stating, “India Gate has disappeared in Delhi… No matter how much the government tampers with the AQI, India Gate has exposed the BJP’s true colors by vanishing behind the smog.” The AAP’s Delhi unit further alleged on X (formerly Twitter) that data from government air quality monitoring stations is being manipulated. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that Municipal Corporation of Delhi trucks were seen sprinkling water near a monitoring station day and night to artificially lower AQI readings, presenting false data to the public. He noted that many popular mobile apps source their AQI data directly from these government stations. Echoing the concerns, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray described Delhi’s pollution as “worrisome” and questioned the government’s reluctance to acknowledge the situation and foster political consensus on climate action. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, expressing shock at the air quality, compared the pervasive pollution to a “grey shroud” over the city and called for a unified political response. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also pointed to a report from IIT Delhi, indicating that winter cloud seeding efforts, costing ₹34 crore, were unlikely to significantly improve Delhi’s air quality. The situation has also drawn sharp criticism on social media, with users expressing outrage over the organization of marathons and fitness rallies amidst the hazardous air quality, questioning the decision to hold outdoor events when residents are advised to stay indoors and mask up.

• Delhi
• Air Pollution