AAP calls out BJP over toxic post-Diwali air, demands urgent action

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP government in Delhi, accusing it of negligence that has put public health at risk.

Taking to X, the party shared a video from the official handle and said, “BJP’s disastrous government is playing with people's lives, another conspiracy gets exposed! People's health is deteriorating due to pollution reaching dangerous levels. BJP has left government hospitals in ruins, forcing people to seek treatment in private hospitals out of necessity.”

The attack comes after Delhi recorded its worst post-Diwali air quality in the last four years, with PM2.5 concentrations peaking at 675 micrograms per cubic metre late Monday night. The city was engulfed in a thick grey haze as the Air Quality Index (AQI) entered the “red zone,” a day after Diwali celebrations that saw firecrackers bursting well beyond the Supreme Court’s two-hour limit from 8 pm to 10 pm.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Diwali at 4 pm was 345, compared to 330 in 2024, 218 in 2023, 312 in 2022, and 382 in 2021. Hourly readings remained above 350 from 7 am to 12 noon on Tuesday, reflecting the worst PM2.5 levels in four years.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa attributed the rise partly to green firecrackers but said the AQI increase was “just 11 points,” from 345 before Diwali to 356 the next morning. He stressed that every religion has the right to celebrate its festivals, and firecrackers remain an indispensable part of Diwali celebrations.

However, AAP leaders blamed the BJP government for failing to implement measures such as artificial rain to mitigate pollution and questioned whether authorities were “hand in glove” with firecracker manufacturers. Saurabh Bharadwaj, Delhi AAP president, also alleged that AQI data was unavailable on Diwali night and accused the BJP of inaction as pollution soared.

The BJP, in contrast, blamed stubble burning in Punjab for the toxic haze over Delhi. Sirsa accused the AAP-run Punjab government of forcing farmers to burn a record amount of paddy stubble, while Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood said those bursting crackers beyond 10 pm acted “irresponsibly,” though he noted firecrackers were not the sole cause of the pollution spike.

Meanwhile, the Congress said the worsening AQI reflected years of administrative neglect and called for sustained efforts to curb pollution.

Despite restrictions, firecracker sales surged this Diwali, estimated at around Rs 500 crore, nearly 40% higher than last year, according to the Sadar Bazar Association. Hospitals reported a rise in burn cases, with Safdarjung Hospital recording the highest at 129. The Delhi Fire Services received 269 emergency calls on Diwali night, a nearly 15% decline from last year’s 318.

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