‘Pollution And Politics’: BJP, AAP Spar Over Responsibility As Delhi’s AQI Continues To Worsen

Last Updated:December 18, 2025, 11:08 IST

BJP ministers in Delhi accused the AAP of failing to accomplish a single task during their 11-year regime, saying the party was protesting over a problem they created.

Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Thursday amid a smoggy morning. (PTI)

Delhi Pollution: A blame game has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the worsening pollution crisis in Delhi, as state Minister Parvesh Verma said the national capital was paying the price of AAP’s wrongdoings.

Speaking at a press conference, Verma launched a tirade of accusations against former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, claiming he did not complete a single task related to road construction, Yamuna cleaning, waste management and more. He said the BJP was doing its best to tackle pollution and was also building new roads to reduce traffic jams.

The AAP has repeatedly criticised the BJP for failing to tackle the pollution crisis in the national capital, as declining levels of air quality triggered massive health concerns. AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday accused the BJP government of fooling the people and alleged that there was no checking of entry and exit of vehicles below BS-VI.

On the other hand, the BJP posted a video and alleged that an AAP councillor was spreading pollution by lighting a fire in his own ward and filming it, allegedly on Kejriwal’s instructions. “In their 10 years of rule, Aam Aadmi Party folks never did any work regarding pollution, and now after losing power, they are engaged in a conspiracy to set fires themselves, create a false narrative, and defame the government," the party said.

BJP Accuses AAP Of ‘Abandoning’ Delhi

Earlier, on Wednesday, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused AAP of abandoning the city after ruling it for over a decade, a charge the opposition party strongly denied. He also repeated that an AAP councillor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was seen burning garbage in his constituency and filming it.

“AAP is deliberately burning waste at various locations to create pollution and they are unconcerned about public health," Sirsa claimed, while stressing that those who ruled Delhi for 10 to 12 years and “gifted the city the disease of pollution" were now protesting against the problem they had created. In response, AAP said Sirsa had a “habit of indulging in lies and fraud".

“Since assuming charge as environment minister, Sirsa had manipulated AQI readings by shutting down monitoring systems and spraying water on AQI stations to create a false narrative," the party said, while calling the allegation about garbage burning “yet another lie".

Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra also criticised the previous government, saying the kind of politics being practised was not appropriate for the national capital. He alleged that during its tenure, ministers were rarely seen on the ground and failed to take concrete steps to tackle pollution.

Meanwhile, AAP leaders led by Bharadwaj protested at Janpath against the persistent deterioration in air quality, during which two individuals dressed as Santa Claus were seen wearing a mask and rallying with the demonstrators. In a video on X, Bharadwaj mocked the government by showing that Santa Claus had ‘fainted’ due to Delhi pollution.

Delhi Pollution Crisis

A dense blanket of hazardous smog enveloped several parts of the national capital on Thursday, with areas such as Najafgarh witnessing low visibility as a lingering haze hovered over streets and neighbourhoods. Air quality readings from the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer app showed Delhi’s AQI at 356 at 6am, placing it firmly in the ‘very poor’ category.

As per the instructions of the Delhi government to curb air pollution, only cars with BS-VI engines will be allowed to enter the national capital. Delhi has already installed automatic number plate recognition cameras at fuel stations to detect vehicles that do not have valid PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificates.

The Delhi government has also directed private offices in the national capital to operate with a maximum of 50 per cent staff to ensure fewer vehicles are on the roads.

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