The Aam Aadmi Party has accused the BJP of blaming Punjab farmers to hide failures in managing Delhi's air quality.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday urged the Delhi government to stop making excuses and provide clean air as the national capital faces a pollution crisis, according to reports by ThePrint and Outlook.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa had previously blamed the AAP-led Punjab government for the deteriorating air quality, alleging that a rise in stubble burning in the neighbouring state contributed to the issue. Sirsa also accused AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of taking revenge on Delhi.
AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj responded by accusing the BJP of defaming Punjab's farmers to cover up its own shortcomings. Bharadwaj claimed that central government data showed stubble-burning incidents in Punjab had dropped by nearly 80 to 90 per cent since the AAP took power there.
AAP Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh shared observations from a trip on Wednesday, noting that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mohali was 45, while Delhi's AQI was 633 at 7 am. He stated that in the evening, AQI levels across Delhi were exceeding 600.
AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu also criticised the BJP for using farmers as scapegoats. Pannu noted that the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab has deployed more than 21,000 crop residue management machines to handle paddy stubble.
