Smog chokes Capital: Political fire sparks

A political slugfest erupted over Delhi's deteriorating air quality post-Diwali, with the Opposition AAP slamming the city government and the ruling BJP blaming stubble burning in Punjab, ruled by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, for the mess.

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

AAP’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj sought to know from the Rekha Gupta-led BJP government in Delhi why it did not take steps to induce artificial rain to bring the situation under control.

He also alleged that banned firecrackers were burst during Diwali and questioned if the Delhi government was “hand in glove” with the firecracker manufacturing lobby.

The AAP leader also claimed that no air quality index (AQ) data on Diwali night was available and held the BJP responsible for it.

Hitting back, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, in a statement, accused AAP leaders, including Bharadwaj, of indulging in “appeasement politics to secure their minority vote bank” by pinning the blame of nosediving air quality on Diwali and firecracker bursting.