Delhi Gasps for Air: AAP & BJP Wage Political War Over Post-Diwali Smog

Delhi Chokes: Minister Blames Religion For AQI Outrage, Denies SC Order Violation

This special report focuses on Delhi's severe air pollution crisis post-Diwali, featuring a tense interview between India Today's Rajdeep Sardesai and Delhi's Environment Minister, Manjit Singh Sirsa. When confronted about the spike in pollution and violations of a Supreme Court order, Sirsa stated, 'Those who are promoting from morning, their aim is to defame a religion'. [N/A] The discussion centres on the violation of the 10 pm deadline for firecrackers and the resulting 'very poor' air quality. Sirsa defends the situation by comparing AQI data to previous years, arguing the increase was minimal, while Sardesai questions his accountability by citing data showing severe pollution levels across 36 of 38 monitoring stations. [N/A] The interview highlights the political blame game that erupts annually as Delhi struggles with toxic air.