The party has sought criminal proceedings against Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa over alleged data fraud.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the BJP-led Delhi government on Wednesday of manipulating air quality index (AQI) data. According to reports by Rediff and Hindustan Times, the party has demanded legal action against Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa for alleged large-scale fraud.
AAP Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that monitoring stations, specifically the one in Jahangirpuri, are being sprayed with water to alter pollution readings. Bharadwaj stated that he and several party leaders have shared posts on X regarding this interference at the station.
In a formal complaint to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Bharadwaj requested criminal proceedings against Gupta and Sirsa. He also called for an independent, high-level probe into physical interference with stations and a thorough review of how the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) collects data and manages monitoring sites.
Bharadwaj claimed that fabricated, lower AQI readings could trick vulnerable groups, such as children and senior citizens, into skipping medical precautions. He urged the CPCB and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to use their powers to investigate the matter.
Separately, AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu criticised the BJP for blaming Punjab's farmers for Delhi's pollution. According to The Tribune, Pannu noted that Parliament data showed an 80 per cent drop in stubble-burning in Punjab last year and that the Bhagwant Mann government has deployed over 21,000 machines for residue management.
