BJP, AAP engage in war of words over who is to blame for Delhi pollution

The politics over stubble burning and subsequent air pollution in Delhi has heated up with the BJP hitting back at the Aam Aadmi party on Saturday, a day after the AAP blamed the Centre for it. The BJP claimed that it has been 'proven' that there is more pollution due to local factors inside Delhi.

"Day before yesterday, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told you that the daily data of stubble burning changes. He told you an overall average of 4%. In response to that, the Delhi government gave a figure of 1st November, 2019," said BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma at a press conference.

Sharma quoted a newspaper report to bolster her point of variation of such data on a daily basis. Sharma claimed that the share of pollution caused by stubble burning in Delhi-NCR's air pollution PM 2.5, on Wednesday was 1%. The same was 6% on Thursday and 18% on Friday.

The BJP's counter charge comes after the AAP's attack on Friday. The Aam Aadmi Party had hit out at both the Congress and the BJP while it welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to appoint retired judge Justice Madan B Lokur to monitor stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh amid rising pollution in Delhi and its surrounding areas.

Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are ruled by the BJP, while Punjab is ruled by the Congress. "These two parties are forming an alliance to allow stubble burning," the AAP charged.

Sharma alleged that "The Delhi government has announced a budget of Rs 65,000 crore this year and has allocated only Rs 52 crore to the Environment Department."

She also demanded to know when the smog towers are going to come up in the national capital. She asked, "On December 2019, the Supreme Court had asked the Delhi government to erect smog towers within 3 months. It's been more than nine months now, how many smog towers are installed?"

She said, "I want to ask the Government of Delhi what the Delhi Government is doing besides tweeting, accusing and just doing drama?"

-- IANS

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