Rahul flags pollution issue in LS; Rijiju says govt ready to discuss

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed concern that rising air pollution across Indian cities such as Delhi was inflicting severe and long-term health damage, urging the Union government to join him in what he called an "interesting experiment" of political cooperation.

- Snehashish Roy

He said the crisis offered Parliament a rare chance to demonstrate that parties could "plan and work together" on an issue that cut across ideology.

In response, Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready for a discussion on the issue. "The government has, from day one, made it clear that it is ready to discuss all important matters ... The issue will be structured and taken up for discussion," he said.

Speaking during Zero Hour, Gandhi underscored the scale of the emergency, describing how "millions of children are getting lung disease, their future is being destroyed," while cancer cases rise and the elderly struggle to breathe under "a blanket of poisonous air."