NEW DELHI: The Delhi BJP has criticized Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for engaging in "political tourism" while the city's residents grapple with severe air pollution.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused the Kejriwal government of being "inactive and insensitive," resulting in the city becoming a "gas chamber."
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Sachdeva pointed out that the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 700 in Anand Vihar, and there were approximately 1,600 incidents of paddy stubble burning in Punjab the previous day. He warned that the next 48 hours would be extremely challenging for Delhi.
Sachdeva questioned the status of smog towers, air purifiers, and water sprinklers to mitigate the escalating pollution, emphasizing that Kejriwal seemed preoccupied with political activities while air pollution continued to worsen. He mentioned that Delhi residents were reporting discomfort, breathlessness, and illness, with children being particularly affected.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari added that the heavy pollution was causing people to fall ill when they ventured outside, and the average life expectancy of Delhi's residents was decreasing by nearly 12 years. Tiwari alleged that Kejriwal appeared indifferent to these issues and focused on political engagements, leaving the people to fend for themselves.
Delhi BJP secretary Harish Khurana urged Kejriwal to address the rising incidents of stubble burning in Punjab, where the AAP is in power. Khurana noted that there were more farm fires in Punjab on November 1 than in Haryana for the entire month of October, despite Haryana having a BJP-led coalition government.
Delhi's air quality deteriorated to the "severe plus" category on Friday morning, triggering emergency measures, including a ban on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all types of construction activities in the National Capital Region. The city's AQI rose from 351 at 10 am on Thursday to 471 at 9 am on Friday.
(With agency inputs)
