Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi's former Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at the Centre and in Delhi on Thursday. He held them responsible for the hazardous air quality engulfing the national capital region, accusing them of a severe failure in governance and intent.
Accusations of Data Manipulation and Policy Failure
Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Kejriwal alleged that the current administration is more focused on manipulating pollution data than on actually controlling the crisis. He claimed that the government's effort is to tamper with Air Quality Index (AQI) data to mask the true severity of the situation. Furthermore, he accused them of deliberately delaying and then poorly implementing the Stage 4 measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4), which includes a ban on construction activities.
"For several days, they did not allow GRAP-4 to be implemented. Even after it was announced recently, its implementation remains on paper," Kejriwal stated. He pointed out that construction work continues unabated across Delhi despite the official ban, highlighting a clear enforcement gap.
Questioning Leadership and Drawing International Comparisons
Kejriwal strongly criticised the "lack of leadership" from the top, directly questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the critical issue. "There has been no word from the Prime Minister. When the country's national capital has turned into a gas chamber and the PM doesn't care about the pollution, how will the situation improve?" he asked.
He drew a parallel with Beijing, noting that while the Chinese capital once had worse air than Delhi, effective government action led to significant improvement. "But here, both the Centre and Delhi govt have no 'neeyat' (intent) to tackle it and give relief to people. Their sole 'neeyat' is to manipulate data," he asserted. Kejriwal added a sarcastic note on the absence of leaders, saying, "I heard someone saying today that the PM is in Oman, the Leader of Opposition in Germany, and the national capital in pollution. If no one is worried, how will it be controlled?"
Shifting Blame and Unprecedented Pollution Levels
In a significant shift from the usual narrative, Kejriwal highlighted that the current pollution spike cannot be blamed on stubble burning from Punjab. He noted that with no active stubble burning currently, Punjab's cities are reporting AQI levels between 70 and 100, which is considered 'satisfactory' to 'moderate'.
"At this point, whatever pollution is there in Delhi is of its own. To tackle it, the BJP govt at the Centre and in Delhi should take effective steps," he emphasized. Kejriwal contrasted the current crisis with the tenure of the previous AAP government in Delhi, claiming that during their ten years, pollution levels were not this severe and a series of strict measures, like deploying inspection teams to check garbage burning, were actively undertaken.
He alleged that the current official AQI readings of 450-500 are themselves manipulated figures, achieved by sprinkling water near monitoring meters. "In reality, the AQI will be between 700 and 800. It is a suffocating environment," Kejriwal claimed, describing the situation as unprecedented. He concluded by asserting that Delhi's air would improve only if the Centre takes a keen interest and proactive, genuine measures to address the root causes of local pollution.
