Rahul Gandhi demands discussion on air pollution, seeks debate in Lok Sabha next week

New Delhi: Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday demanded a discussion on air pollution in Parliament at a time Indian cities are under a “blanket of poisonous air” and to show that the government and the Opposition can work together to solve critical issues without abusing each other, amid indications of a debate on the issue in Lok Sabha next week.

Raising the issue in Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said the discussion on the issue can be framed in an interesting manner where the Opposition and the government do not trade abuses at each other but find a solution to the problem.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responded to Rahul, saying the government is ready to discuss the subject under any rule and as the issue was raised at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee earlier in the day, he would come back to the House after the panel takes a call. Sources said Congress representatives raised the issue at the BAC meeting.

Rahul said it would be good if they have a discussion and the Prime Minister puts in place a “methodical and systematic” plan for each city on how to tackle the issue in the next 5-10 years.

Emphasising that millions of children are getting lung diseases and their future is getting destroyed, elderly struggling to breathe and people are getting cancer, he said he is certain that both the government and the Opposition would be in full agreement in dealing with the issue.

“This is not an ideological issue. Everybody in this House would agree that air pollution, the damage it is doing to our people, is something that we would like to cooperate on. It is important that the government develops a plan for how to get rid of air pollution and we are more than happy to help in developing such a plan,” he said.

In an apparent reference to the acrimonious debate on Vande Mataram and election reforms earlier this week, Rahul said there are “not many issues these days that the government and the entire Opposition can agree on” and combating air pollution would be one issue which they can show that “we can plan and work together to solve something that is critical”.

“We should try and not make it a discussion where we are abusing you and you are abusing us. I think we should make it a discussion where we are participating, we are showing the country that there is agreement on this fundamental issue and best minds are put in place to solve the issue,” he said.

Insisting that the discussion should not be framed on finding fault on both sides, he said it should be forward looking on the steps to be taken.