New Delhi: Delhi woke up to a thick haze and “very poor” air quality the morning after Diwali, but Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said pollution levels had remained largely stable compared to previous years.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Sirsa accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of deliberately worsening Delhi’s air quality by “forcing farmers to burn stubble” to create a false narrative of the Delhi government’s failure.
“After Diwali celebrations, Delhi’s AQI rose by mere 6 points, from 345 yesterday to 351 today, compared to 360 last year. Delhiites celebrated responsibly, and our measures ensured stability in air quality,” said Sirsa. He claimed that despite firecracker use, Delhi’s pollution levels remained far below the post-Diwali levels recorded in earlier years, 462 in 2020, 360 in 2024, and 351 this year.
The minister alleged that “the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab is deliberately polluting Delhi’s air.” He said incidents of stubble burning had spiked over the past four days, calling it “no coincidence.” “Farmers are being pressured and provoked to burn stubble so that pollution in Delhi can be used politically to target the Delhi Government,” he said.
Sirsa accused AAP leaders of “playing religion politics” over Diwali celebrations. “Arvind Kejriwal and his team are trying to politicize a sacred festival. Diwali is not the property of any political party, it is the festival of India’s soul. Calling Diwali a ‘sin’ is an insult to our faith and culture,” he said.