Criticising the Atishi-led AAP government in Delhi for its alleged failure to address the issue of pollution, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said on Tuesday that the ruling dispensation lacks the vision to solve the problem.
He said that the Delhi government neither has the will, nor an action plan to combat pollution.
Commenting on the CM’s press conference, the Delhi BJP chief said it lacked substance with no information on the effective measures taken so far, or any concrete plans for the future to address the issue.
The BJP leader highlighted two primary causes of winter pollution in Delhi, one, the stubble burning in Punjab, and two, the dust from construction sites and roads. “Sadly, the chief minister made empty promises without presenting any concrete plans from her government,” he lamented.
Lashing out at Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, Sachdeva said, “Only in Delhi can a minister claim the air is clean in the morning, ban firecrackers in the afternoon, and implement emergency GRAP measures by night.”
He accused Rai of misleading the public without backing his statements with serious studies or reports.
Sachdeva further said, “I wish the chief minister had explained what her government has done with Punjab’s allied administration to curb stubble burning or shared steps taken to control peak winter pollution.”
He accused her of simply repeating the same narratives her minister, Rai, has been giving for the past month.
Sachdeva dismissed promises about mechanical street cleaning, sprinklers, and anti-smog guns as “deceptive rhetoric” claiming that Delhi’s residents no longer believe them.
The BJP leader highlighted the sorry state of the city roads, stating that despite the tall claims of the AAP ministers of increased street cleaning and repairs by the government, no visible progress can be seen on the ground. “Instead of taking responsibility, Gopal Rai tried to blame Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for Delhi’s pollution. The truth is, no winds from Uttar Pradesh reach Delhi; rather, Delhi’s polluted air and water flow towards UP,” he added.
He said, “Scientific reports show that stubble burning in Haryana has reduced by 90 per cent over the past four years.”
Sachdeva said the AAP government seems more concerned about protecting the Punjab government than addressing the concerns of the city’s residents.