Forcing AAP MLAs to remove masks in House or manipulating AQI data will not reduce pollution: Kuldeep Kumar (X @KuldeepKumarAAP)
New Delhi: On the opening day of the Winter Session, the pollution crisis erupted into a powerful demonstration outside the Delhi Legislative Assembly, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs wearing Industrial-grade masks to highlight the BJP government’s failure on air quality.
Led by former Delhi CM and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Delhi Assembly Atishi, the demonstration called out the BJP government for allowing Delhi to turn into a gas chamber as residents struggle to breathe for months, while GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) remains poorly enforced.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that instead of acting, the BJP’s four-engine government manipulated Air Quality Index (AQI) data and silenced dissent, marshalling MLAs out of the House when the issue was exposed before the public.
Senior AAP leader and Delhi Assembly LoP Atishi stated, “The people of Delhi cannot breathe and are dying because of toxic air, yet the BJP is not even willing to discuss pollution, let alone work on it. Today we were thrown out of the Assembly simply because we went inside wearing masks. People in Delhi are being admitted to hospitals, children are gasping for breath, elderly citizens are losing their lives, and wards at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) are full. In such a situation, can Delhi’s representatives not even wear masks inside the Assembly? It is shameful that people are dying due to poisonous air, but the BJP government will do nothing beyond sprinkling water on AQI monitors.”
Questioning the source of pollution, the former Delhi CM continued, “The BJP must first answer why people in Delhi are dying because of toxic air. All data shows that this year Delhi has witnessed the highest pollution levels in the last ten years. Their excuse of stubble burning in Punjab has also ended because the Central Government’s data shows that stubble burning is no longer happening in Punjab. So the question is, where is this pollution coming from?”
Holding the government responsible, Atishi said, “Ever since the BJP came to power in Delhi, pollution has increased sharply. Their way of controlling pollution is manipulating data, presenting false figures, and sprinkling water on AQI monitors. It's not like water is being sprinkled into our lungs. Our children are breathing the same toxic air, elderly people are suffocating, and the BJP-led government is responsible for this. There will be no compromise on the health of Delhiites. Pollution requires concrete and immediate action, not ‘jumlebaazi’. We will fight for every breath of Delhi’s people with full force, from the streets to the House.”
During a demonstration outside the Assembly on Monday over pollution, she added, “For the past four months, people in Delhi have been unable to breathe. Children are suffocating and elderly citizens are losing their lives. Hospitals like the AIIMS are saying that surviving in Delhi has become difficult. The BJP government in Delhi is manipulating AQI readings and is not implementing the GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) properly. That is why AAP MLAs are forced to demonstrate wearing masks to demand clean air for Delhiites. Today, to become the voice of Delhi’s people and expose the BJP, all Aam Aadmi Party MLAs came to the Assembly wearing industrial masks to present the suffering of Delhi’s people.”
Meanwhile, AAP Chief Whip Sanjeev Jha stated, “Today there was Lieutenant Governor (LG)’s address in the Delhi Assembly. Earlier, the LG had said that he had a brilliant idea and that if the Delhi government wanted, pollution could be reduced by 80 percent. Since the LG came to the House today, the Aam Aadmi Party wanted to ask him what happened to that 80 percent idea. Is the BJP government not listening to him, or is he not giving ideas, or was that claim false? Was the public being misled to harm the Aam Aadmi Party? He should clarify it.”
Describing what happened inside the House, Sanjeev Jha said, “Pollution in Delhi is extremely serious. People are being admitted to hospitals and doctors are saying that December has been the most polluted month. I had hoped the LG would listen to me, but the moment I stood up to ask a question, the Speaker marshalled me out. I do not understand why there is so much panic.”
Reacting to the presentation of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, he asserted, “That report is a bundle of the BJP government’s failures. If they had worked for ten months, they would have said that pollution was reduced, the Yamuna was cleaned, Rs 2,500 were provided to women, or free and Rs 500 cylinders were provided during Diwali and Holi. Waterlogging would not have happened and the deaths of 50 people due to it should not have occurred. The BJP government should have answered all this. Instead, they sought votes from the people of Delhi through false promises, and the people voted for them. Now they are doing politics. To hide their failures, they want to place a bundle of lies in the House.”
Clarifying the walkout issue, the AAP MLA added, “We did not walk out of the House; we were marshalled out by the Speaker. We only wanted to hear that 80 percent idea from the LG because the Delhi Assembly is the largest ‘panchayat’ of Delhi and the public has expectations from all legislators. The LG could have told the House what happened to that 80 percent idea and why it was not implemented. Perhaps the LG is not being listened to.”
On the other hand, AAP MLA Gopal Rai stated, “The BJP government in Delhi has completely failed to control pollution and the people of Delhi are bearing the consequences of this failure. The Aam Aadmi Party’s demand is that this issue must be discussed when the House is in session. The government should answer because the people of Delhi want answers. Until there is a discussion in the House, the Aam Aadmi Party will strongly continue to raise the demand for a debate on pollution.”
Pointing to data suppression, AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar said, “The BJP government must work seriously on pollution. Delhi’s so-called ‘four engine’ BJP government is only busy suppressing pollution data. The BJP forced Aam Aadmi Party MLAs to remove masks in the House, but removing masks and hiding data will not reduce pollution. To end it, the Chief Minister will have to work seriously.”
Describing ground reality, he continued, “Delhi’s air has become suffocating. Children’s lungs are getting damaged, and for elderly people and all Delhiites, breathing has become extremely difficult. Long queues have formed in hospitals and medicines are not available. People are distressed and want to know what work the BJP government has done and what it is doing now.”
Highlighting public suffering, Kuldeep Kumar added, “The BJP government says that the opposition should remove masks inside the House, but it is the government that has forced the people of Delhi to wear masks. It has forced people to leave Delhi and go outside. Today health experts are saying that Delhi is no longer liveable and its environment is suffocating. But the Chief Minister is only busy hiding data and forcing the opposition to remove masks. She must work seriously, address the issues of Delhi’s people, and act to eliminate this pollution.”
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