Amid the increasing pollution cover over the capital, state and national political leaders did nearly nothing except politicise the matter. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday remarked that pollution is not Delhi’s but North India’s problem, urging the Center to take specific steps to relieve the region from the problem.
Kejriwal also said that the Delhi government is mulling whether the odd-even scheme for vehicles should be implemented. He went on to announce that the primary schools in Delhi will be closed from Saturday onwards till the pollution situation in the National Capital improves. The Delhi CM’s remarks come after the national capital reported the air quality in the “severe” category for the second consecutive day. He also said that the centre government should come forward to lead measures to check severe smog in the national capital region.
Meanwhile, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the national capital, accusing it of “failing on every front.”
Amid the escalating war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AAP over the fast declining air quality in Delhi, the senior BJP leader claimed that the ‘hollow propaganda’ of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party had been exposed and the people were saddened by the government’s failed promises. Goyal said the people will give a fitting reply to the AAP government’s failed promises in the upcoming electoral battles. Buoyed by its resounding mandate in Punjab, the Kejriwal-led party will contest the upcoming assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat in a bid to extend its national footprint.
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also took a swipe at Arvind Kejriwal for his past statements regarding the stubble burning leading to pollution in the national capital. Taking a jibe at the Delhi CM, who has been vocal about the stubble burning and was seen blaming the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab (now ruled by AAP) in the past, Scindia shared a compiled video of Kejriwal’s statements that he made in the past on the issue, and said, “Then do it!!! Expert in talks, slow in work.”
This comes after Delhi woke up to the air quality falling in the ‘severe’ category for the second consecutive day. According to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), stubble burning contributed 34 percent to Delhi’s PM 2.5 pollution.
However, the AAP hit back, claiming that Punjab was being singled out when other states, including the BJP-ruled Haryana, were also to blame for the prevailing situation.