The political tussle over Delhi’s deteriorating air quality took a dramatic turn on Thursday after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released a video skit depicting men dressed as Santa Claus collapsing on city streets, blaming severe pollution.
‘Santa Claus Fainted In Delhi Pollution’
Senior AAP leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj shared the video on X with the caption, “Santa Claus fainted in Delhi pollution”.
The clip shows two men in Santa costumes, wearing anti-pollution masks, fainting in Connaught Place, as Bhardwaj and others are seen performing CPR on them.
AQI Remains In ‘Very Poor’ Category
The skit was released as air quality in the national capital continued to remain poor. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 358 on Thursday, placing it in the “very poor” category.
BJP–AAP War Of Words Intensifies
The video surfaced amid an escalating exchange between the ruling BJP and opposition AAP. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa recently accused AAP of abandoning the city after governing it for more than a decade, a charge the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has rejected.
Sirsa also alleged that AAP leaders were deliberately burning waste at several locations to worsen pollution levels in Delhi and accused the party of being indifferent to public health.
Garbage-Burning Allegation Sparks Row
The environment minister urged former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to intervene, claiming he had been informed by the Trilokpuri MLA that an AAP councillor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was seen burning garbage in the constituency and recording it.
AAP strongly denied the allegations, accusing Sirsa of having a “habit of indulging in lies and fraud”.
AAP Hits Back At Environment Minister
The party countered that since taking charge as environment minister, Sirsa had manipulated AQI readings by shutting down monitoring systems and spraying water on AQI stations to present a misleading picture.
Calling the garbage-burning charge “yet another lie”, AAP said Sirsa should either file an FIR if he had evidence or stop making what it termed “fake claims”.
Protest At Janpath
Meanwhile, several AAP leaders, led by Bhardwaj, staged a protest at Janpath against the continued deterioration of Delhi’s air quality. During the demonstration, two individuals dressed as Santa Claus were seen wearing masks and rallying alongside the protesters.