Gogoi's son attends Parliament in mask

On a hazy winter morning of Monday, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi grabbed the attention of many as he walked into Parliament wearing a mask to protect himself from an alarming level of pollution in the national capital.

Son of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the young Lok member, however, could not protect his throat from pollution induced irritation despite wearing the mask. Due to the fog, the pollutants in the air remain relatively closer to the ground,  worsening air quality to alarming level.

“I thought I would walk to Parliament, but then saw the report on pollution and decided to wear a mask. But even though I am wearing the mask, I feel the irritation on my tongue and throat,” Gogoi said.

Gogoi, 33, argued that the government should make public population levels to arm people to decide how to protect themselves.

“I have somehow managed to come here and we will go inside for work, but what about what the many traffic policemen on the road and other people working outside have to go through?”  he wondered.

As per Monday’s report, air quality plunged into the 'severe' category across Delhi, with real time readings showing PM 2.5 five times above the prescribed limit at times, which has the potential to affect healthy people and “seriously impact” those with existing respiratory ailments, said a news agency.