The ongoing dispute over Delhi’s worsening air quality intensified on Tuesday as BJP leader and Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of deliberately encouraging farmers in Punjab to burn stubble to exacerbate the national capital’s pollution crisis.
This accusation came shortly after Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the government for failing to fulfil its promise of using artificial rain to mitigate post-Diwali pollution. Bharadwaj launched a sharp attack, alleging that the government had misled Delhi residents with false commitments. Speaking to media people, he said, “The government lies. It said that after Diwali, we would fix pollution by conducting artificial rain. Did artificial rain happen? No. My question is, if you could have done it, why didn’t you? Do you want people to fall ill?” He further alleged a collusion between the government and private hospitals, stating, “The government has a collusion with private hospitals.”
His remarks coincided with Delhi waking up to a thick blanket of smog after Diwali, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) slipping into the ‘very poor’ category and several monitoring stations registering severe pollution levels.
In response, Sirsa launched a counterattack against AAP Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party, alleging that AAP leaders were compelling Punjab farmers to burn stubble to worsen Delhi’s air quality. He stated, “I want to show you how the Aam Aadmi Party is deliberately forcing farmers to burn stubble in Punjab by covering their faces. Farmers don’t want to burn stubble, but they were told to do so. They’ve been forced to burn stubble by covering their faces so that this stubble can have an impact on Delhi.”
Sirsa accused Kejriwal of hypocrisy, claiming that after “ten years of abusing Punjab’s farmers”, the AAP chief was now attempting to blame them for Delhi’s pollution while maligning the festival of Diwali.
Bharadwaj refuted Sirsa’s claims about stubble burning, questioning their validity. Speaking in Hindi, he said, “An uneducated person is saying that stubble burning in Punjab increased Delhi’s pollution. The problem is, Punjab’s AQI is only 156,” highlighting that Punjab’s air quality remained relatively moderate despite the stubble fires.
Sirsa, in turn, escalated his criticism by accusing AAP of targeting Hindu beliefs and defaming Diwali. He remarked, “These people are trying to defame Diwali. They want to act like Aurangzeb, attacking Hindu traditions and faith. When animals are sacrificed on Bakrid and blood flows on the streets, does Kejriwal speak up then?”
He further alleged that AAP was deliberately injecting religion into politics, stating, “Arvind Kejriwal first banned firecrackers in Delhi to appease a particular community. Since morning, his entire team has been cursing Diwali. Sanjay Singh and his colleagues have been tweeting to stop celebrations. They call it a BJP festival, but Diwali isn’t BJP’s, it’s a Sanatan Hindu festival. Why are you using such words against it?”
Sirsa continued his attack by claiming that those blaming Diwali for pollution were doing so “only to please some section”. He referenced historical figures, saying, “Those who admired Aurangzeb and Akbar, the same who put Tipu Sultan’s photo in the Vidhan Sabha, are now blaming Diwali. For ten years, Arvind Kejriwal was Chief Minister and failed to control pollution. Now that we’ve started fixing Delhi’s problems in just seven months, they are rattled.”
Also Read: Crackers ignite Diwali; Delhi's AQI enters 'very poor' zone
To counter the narrative that firecrackers significantly contribute to pollution, Sirsa cited AQI data from the past three years, arguing that Diwali celebrations had a minimal impact this year. He said, “In 2023, the AQI rose by 83 points after Diwali. In 2024, it increased by 32 points despite a cracker ban. But this year, when people freely celebrated, it rose by just 11 points. What do the numbers say now?”
He shared this data on X, asserting that it debunked the “myth” that Diwali firecrackers were a primary cause of pollution, and wrote, “The government that couldn’t fix pollution with odd-even, firecracker bans, and restrictions has no right to question the faith of Delhiites.”
Sirsa also defended his government’s efforts to address Delhi’s environmental and infrastructural challenges, claiming, “Our government has removed 27 lakh metric tonnes of garbage, restarted several sewage treatment plants, and added thousands of electric buses.” The heated exchange between the BJP and AAP underscores the deepening political divide over Delhi’s persistent air quality crisis, with both sides trading accusations of mismanagement and exploiting cultural sentiments.
Also Read: Delhi air turns 'toxic' after Diwali cracker frenzy
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