BJP Targets CM Kejriwal As Delhi Struggles To Breathe, Minister Blames 'External Sources' For Pollution

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla has held Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal responsible for worsening air quality in the national capital, as AQI plunges to 'Severe' category.

Delhi Air Pollution: Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Shehzad Poonawalla has blamed CM Arvind Kejriwal for deteriorating air quality in Delhi and said that the national capital has become a "gas chamber".  Wearing a mask, Poonawalla said people cannot come out even for a walk without a mask in the city as pollution has reached the worst level "since 2020". He also posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, and attacked the Kejriwal-led AAP government as AQI crossed 450-mark in several areas across Delhi.

The AQI declined to 492 in Delhi falling into the 'Severe Plus' category, as per the latest data from SAFAR India. "..Delhi has become a gas chamber under Arvind Kejriwal... He has ensured that AQI levels are at their highest in the last four to five years. He has done nothing to tackle pollution," Poonawalla said.

"Kejriwal used to blame stubble burning in Punjab. Now you have a government in Punjab... But incidences of stubble burning have increased in Punjab...His government will blame the centre, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana... People of Delhi today, if they breathe this air, it is hazardous..." he added.

A layer of smog has covered the Delhi-NCR skyline with visibility very low in several areas. The latest ANI drone camera footage from Signature Bridge in Delhi shows the city engulfed in smog. 

 

Delhi Govt Cannot Control Pollution 'Completely'

BJP's attack comes as Delhi minister Gopal Rai said that the AAP government cannot curb the pollution "completely". 

"First of all, it is wrong to think that the Delhi Government can control pollution completely because the matter of pollution is not of Delhi alone. Sources outside Delhi cause twice the pollution here than the sources within Delhi," he said, as quoted by ANI.

Speaking on the rising pollution, the Delhi Environment Minister said the government is working on policies, adding the next 15 days are going to be "critical" for Delhi.

"We are continuously working on policies. Last year, 13–14 hotspots were identified where there was a continuous increase in pollution... Now their numbers are 4 to 5... In the whole of North India, there is this kind of situation of AQI... The next 15 days are very critical for Delhi. The speed of the wind is low, and the temperature is going down..." he said.

"Seeing this, the GRAP 3 rules have been implemented. We have called the meeting of all the concerned departments at 12 p.m. today. We are seeing that, though rules and policies are being made and directed, their implementation is not strict. This is a challenge..." Rai added.

The Delhi minister also said citing experts that the city's pollution level has increased sharply since Thursday "due to slow wind speed and lowering temperature". "In view of this, GRAP-III has been put into effect. It is our priority now to implement GRAP-III effectively on ground. For that, we have called a meeting of the concerned departments today," he further mentioned. 

He said it was a result of the efforts of CM Kejriwal that as per the report of the Central Government, "in 2015, there were only 109 days out of 365 in which air quality was good. Last year we reached 163 days. This year, Delhi experienced more than 200 days of good air quality."