AAP terms Delhi pollution a public health emergency; BJP says situation better than before

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday slammed the Delhi government for "complete failure" in controlling pollution, saying that there was a "public health emergency" in the national capital.

The BJP hit back at the opposition party, saying the AAP's statements on Delhi's pollution were "baseless".

BJP's Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva said while Delhi’s pollution is "somewhat concerning", residents understand that the city’s air quality has "improved over the past few years". The BJP formed the government in Delhi after defeating the AAP in the assembly polls earlier this year.

In a post on X, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the "four-engine government has ruined everything". The AAP refers to the Delhi government, Centre and the MCD under the BJP as well as the office of the lieutenant governor -- a central government appointee -- as the "four-engine government".

"I appeal to the people of Delhi to take care of themselves - this government is not going to do anything for you," he posted on X in Hindi.

Senior AAP leaders said the capital is "gasping for breath" while BJP ministers remain busy with election campaigns in Bihar.

AAP's Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj said residents can no longer breathe the city’s "poisonous" air, which has forced 'Warrior Moms' -- a collective of mothers fighting for children's right to breathe clean air -- to write to the health minister.

"...during this health emergency, Delhi’s health minister and other BJP ministers have been busy in Bihar for the past several days," he said.

Former deputy CM Manish Sisodia said Delhi is facing a full-fledged public health emergency. "The truth is, it is not Delhi’s air but the BJP’s mindset that has become toxic,” he said on X.

The AAP has been constantly accusing the BJP government of fudging pollution data, a claim denied by the latter.

The 24-hour AQI settled at 309 (very poor) on Monday, declining from 366, the day before.

Sachdeva, the Delhi BJP chief, said AAP leaders have been making irrational statements about Delhi’s pollution.

Accusing Bharadwaj of making "baseless" and "fabricated" statements, Sachdeva said the BJP government is a responsible government, and Environment Minister is continuously working with environmental experts.

He said that it is normal for chief ministers and ministers from different states to travel and campaign during elections.

In a statement, Sachdeva questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s visit to Gujarat when Punjab was affected by floods, Delhi's Leader of Opposition Atishi's "long stay" in Goa, and former Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai’s "extended election stay" in Gujarat if it was wrong for Delhi CM Rekha Gupta to go to Bihar where polls are due in a week.

He added that "before questioning our BJP chief minister and a few ministers for visiting Bihar" for election campaigning, Bharadwaj should clarify how they managed to bring "non-resident" former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia "just to issue a press statement today".