Odd-even scheme is not way out of air pollution crisis in Delhi: Shatrughan

Veteran actor and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha said on Tuesday the odd-even scheme being implemented in Delhi by the Arvind Kejriwal government is not going to solve the problem of severe air pollution in the city.

He said pollution has affected the entire country, especially Delhi, and hence various sections of the society are "naturally" concerned.

There should be "less talk" and people should come up with solutions to bring pollution under control, Sinha said at a press conference at the Delhi Congress office here.

"The Supreme Court is fixing responsibility... But what steps are being taken in the short term? Just talking about it and (implementing) odd-even are not a way out," he said.

The veteran Bollywood actor who severed his association with the BJP a few months ago and joined the Congress, credited party president Sonia Gandhi with resisting the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and pressuring the government for not joining the agreement.

According to government sources, India decided on Monday not to join the RCEP agreement as negotiations failed to address New Delhi's concerns.

The RCEP bloc comprises 10 Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) group members and their six FTA partners - India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Asserting that had India joined the RCEP it would have spelled a disaster, he said the pressure build up by Sonia Gandhi and the Congress stopped it.

It is in national interest of India that it is not joining the RCEP which will save local farmer, small shopkeepers and businesses, Sinha said.

Sinha also slammed the Narendra Modi government for demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation, saying the economy has still not recovered from the impact of these.

Subhash Chopra, in his first press conference after being appointed Delhi Congress president, said Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi saved the country from RCEP through their consistent opposition to it.

Delhi Congree chief spokesperson Mukesh Sharma, Mahila Congress president Sharmishtha Mukherjee and former MP Sandip Dikshit were also present at the press conference.