AAP's Christmas cartoon mocks BJP's 'jumlas' on pollution, Yamuna

On Christmas, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stepped up its attack on the ruling BJP in Delhi by sharing a sharply worded cartoon on X, accusing the government of gifting “jumlas” (empty promises) instead of delivering on key poll assurances.

The illustration, styled as a Christmas-themed political cartoon, carries the headline: “Merry Christmas of BJP’s jumlas in Delhi.”

At the centre of the image are four ordinary-looking Delhi residents standing in a line, each holding a gift box. As they open the boxes, spring-loaded boxing gloves pop out, each glove prominently labelled “jumla”.

Each box carries a promise linked to the BJP’s 2025 Delhi Assembly election commitments:

• One box reads “Pollution-free Delhi”
• Another says “Rs 2,500/month”, a reference to the promise of Rs 2,500 per month to poor women
• A third mentions “cleaning of the Yamuna”
• The fourth reads “free gas cylinder”.

The expressions on the faces of the people opening these boxes range from shock to disappointment, visually suggesting that what was promised as a “gift” has turned into a blow.

On the right side of the image stands a Santa-clad caricature resembling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, smiling and holding a sack full of gifts.

Through the cartoon, AAP alleged that the BJP’s poll promises in Delhi are nothing more than “jumlas” that hit citizens back instead of helping them.

The image makes references to the BJP’s manifesto for the 2025 Delhi Assembly polls, titled ‘Vikasit Dilli Sankalp Patra’, which promised Rs 2,500 a month to poor women, Rs 500 subsidy on LPG cylinders — including a free cylinder during festivals like Holi and Diwali — cleaning the Yamuna river and building a riverfront within three years, and bringing the city’s severe pollution under control.

However, the AAP has repeatedly accused the BJP government in Delhi, headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, of focusing on optics rather than real governance.

On the issue of the Yamuna, AAP leaders have alleged that the BJP government is indulging in “cosmetic fixes” and political staging. During Chhath Puja celebrations, AAP leaders openly challenged the Delhi Chief Minister and other BJP officials to drink Yamuna water to prove claims that the river had been cleaned.

Delhi’s toxic air has been another major flashpoint. AAP has repeatedly targeted the ruling BJP over worsening pollution levels in the National Capital Region. Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the government of “distorting” AQI data and misleading the public.

AAP also cited an India Today investigation that flagged large-scale irregularities in Delhi’s Pollution Under Control (PUC) certification system. Using the findings, the party branded the BJP administration the “government of farzivada (forgery)”, alleging systemic manipulation to protect its narrative.

“From fraud in AQI data, to nakli Yamuna, farzivada visible at all levels,” Bharadwaj said, asserting that the problem was institutional rather than isolated.

By pairing these allegations with a visually striking Christmas cartoon, AAP used satire to question whether the BJP’s big-ticket promises will translate into real relief for the city’s residents.

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