Forced to breathe toxic air for the past four months, an angry Delhi took to the streets on Tuesday alongside the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). (Image X @AamAadmiParty)
New Delhi: Forced to breathe toxic air for the past four months, an angry Delhi took to the streets on Tuesday alongside the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), holding a fierce demonstration against the BJP government’s complete failure on pollution. Led by AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj, Delhi residents said they no longer had any expectations from the government and demanded that it stop manipulating Air Quality Index (AQI) data and begin serious action.
Delhiites called out the BJP government for falsifying AQI figures, damaging India’s image globally, and deliberately avoiding a discussion on Delhi’s pollution in the Assembly out of fear that it would be exposed before the world.
During this, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “There is no expectation from the BJP government that it will reduce pollution in Delhi. We also have no expectations, which is why we are only asking the government to at least stop the ‘farziwada' (fraud). Embassies of countries from across the world are located in Delhi. The American Embassy has installed its own Air Quality Index (AQI) monitor, which is showing an AQI level of 400, while the government’s station is showing 300.”
The AAP Delhi Unit Chief said, “They (BJP) are making a mockery of the situation and damaging India’s image globally by indulging in fraud even in AQI monitoring. As soon as pollution increases, monitoring stations are shut down and fake data is created by sprinkling water on them.”
Referring to the Yamuna issue and environmental claims, he continued, “The BJP government could not clean the Yamuna. Their leaders pretended to drink Yamuna water. Now their Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa is saying that he needs four years. Why is this fraud being carried out? Neither the AAP nor anyone else asked them to clean the Yamuna. We said leave it as it is, when the AAP government comes, we will handle it, just do not make it worse. That is why today we are only here to say that this fraud must stop and at least honest and truthful data should be presented with good intent.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the BJP government is running away from discussion. The government believes that if there is a discussion on pollution, it will be exposed before the entire world. They have nothing to say, which is why they are ready to discuss ‘Fansi Ghar’ (gallows) or old CAG reports, but not pollution. The BJP did not even allow a discussion on pollution in Parliament.
Describing the treatment of AAP legislators, he added, “On the very first day of the Assembly session, four AAP MLAs including Kuldeep Kumar, Sanjeev Jha and Jarnail Singh were expelled from the House. The Speaker gave no warning and did not allow them to speak, they were thrown out for three days the moment they entered. If this was the plan, what was the need to convene the House? They could have held a ‘panchayat’ at home and released a podcast. What was the need for this drama?”
Raising questions over the teachers’ issue and Education Minister Ashish Sood, the AAP Delhi Unit Chief emphasised, “If the order was wrong, why was no one suspended and why has the order still not been withdrawn? The teacher who raised their voice was suspended, but there is complete silence on the officer who issued the order.”
On school fee hikes after the BJP government came to power, he continued, “The moment the BJP government came to Delhi, schools increased fees by 20 to 80 percent. I challenge Education Minister Ashish Sood to name even one school whose fees Ashish Sood has got reduced. He is only indulging in statements and has not been able to act against a single school. On one hand, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta says do not dirty Delhi, but go and see Ashish Sood’s Assembly constituency Janakpuri. Trees, poles, toilets, every wall has been plastered with his boards.”
Reacting to sloganeering at Jawaharlal Nehru University after the Supreme Court verdict, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Saying ‘Modi Shah’s grave will be dug’ is wrong because they are Hindus and graves are not dug in Hinduism. No one can change another person’s religion. Although the name Shah is Arabic, such statements should not be made about him.”
Casting doubt on BJP narratives, he added, “There is no trust left in the BJP anymore. Earlier, the video they showed of JNU was proven fake in a forensic report. Their AQI turned out to be fake, the Yamuna turned out to be fake, and even the data they were circulating on oil imports was declared fake by Reliance. People are now saying even their GDP figures are fake. Who knows what all fake things they are presenting. So it is possible that this JNU issue is also fake, because nothing they say can be trusted anymore.”
Meanwhile, Delhi Assembly LoP Atishi stated, “The BJP has made life unbearable for the people of Delhi. For the last four months, people have not been able to breathe because of pollution. Polluted air is damaging lungs, elderly people are losing their lives and children need inhalers to breathe. Hospital beds are filled with patients suffering from respiratory diseases.”
The Delhi Assembly LoP said, “BJP leaders say that we cannot come wearing masks. We ask why not? When the AQI is between 400 and 500 and breathing itself is difficult, if they cannot clean Delhi’s air, can people not even wear masks? Why were AAP MLAs expelled from the House on the first day? Because they went wearing masks and wanted to discuss pollution.”
On the disruption of the Assembly proceedings, Atishi said, “On the second day, the ruling party and the opposition started demonstrating against each other. From morning onwards, time is being wasted. The House is being adjourned because they do not want a discussion on pollution. The BJP’s lies have been exposed before Delhi, the country and the world. Everyone now knows how they are committing fraud with pollution data. I want to ask the BJP governments at the Centre and in Delhi what exactly the so-called ‘four engine’ government is doing. The BJP government has failed on every front.”
Responding to questions on the chaos over the CAG report, she told the media, “It is the BJP members who have been protesting since morning. Do they not want the CAG report to be presented in the House? We did not adjourn the House. BJP protested against the opposition, what kind of irony is this? They should present the CAG report, but there must also be a discussion on pollution. The people of Delhi want a discussion on pollution.”
On the other hand, AAP Chief Whip Sanjeev Jha stated, “Today the Aam Aadmi Party and a large number of people of Delhi are demonstrating. The people of Delhi want the Assembly to be concerned about rising pollution in the city. People are dying due to pollution, the problem is becoming more serious, yet there is no discussion on it in the Delhi Assembly. The moment AAP MLAs asked questions, we were expelled for three days. Asking questions on pollution was our right and answering them was the government’s responsibility.”
The AAP Chief Whip said, “If there is no discussion in the House, people will come out on the streets to talk about this serious issue. That is why thousands of people are standing today demanding that fraud in data be stopped, that the BJP government in Delhi work on pollution, that loot worth crores in the name of cloud seeding be stopped, and that the health of Delhi’s people be taken seriously.”
Underlining the gravity of the situation, Sanjeev Jha said, “Outside the Delhi Assembly today, people are asking just one question. Does the breath of Delhiites have no value? Pollution in Delhi has become deadly, people are falling ill and lives are being lost. Yet sadly, there is not even a discussion on pollution inside the Assembly. When we asked questions, instead of answers we were expelled. If there is no discussion in the House, then we will ask questions on the streets.”
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