On Thursday, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva launched a scathing attack on former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), holding them responsible for the city’s persistent air pollution and failure to clean the Yamuna River.
For several days, Delhi’s air quality has been hovering in the ‘very poor’ category.
On Thursday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 332, causing widespread discomfort among residents.
The Air Quality Early Warning System predicts that these hazardous levels are likely to persist through Saturday.
In a symbolic gesture of protest, Sachdeva took a dip in the heavily polluted Yamuna River, calling out the AAP government and its leader for failing to deliver on promises to clean the river, a key issue Kejriwal had campaigned on.
Sachdeva told IANS, “We have been waiting for the Chief Minister of Delhi and also from the one who controls from behind the scenes and is out on bail, to explain the use of the Rs 8,500 crore allocated by the Central Government for cleaning the Yamuna. They must come forward and explain what they have done to clean the Yamuna river.”
Meanwhile, his remarks come in the wake of deteriorating environmental conditions in the capital.
In addition to air pollution, the Yamuna River has been plagued by toxic froth, particularly in areas like Kalindi Kunj, posing a significant health hazard to locals and an eyesore for the city.
Sachdeva raised concerns about the upcoming Chhath festival, during which devotees worship the sun god by offering prayers in the river.
He questioned how people would be able to perform rituals in such polluted waters.
“How will my mothers and sisters worship Lord Suryadev in a river that is unfit to even touch?” he asked, underscoring the cultural and religious impact of the pollution crisis.
Taking aim at AAP’s claims of progress, Sachdeva challenged Kejriwal to present a report card on his governance over the past decade.
He accused the AAP government of mismanaging funds, stating that despite receiving Rs 37 crore under the NCPA from the central government, they only utilized Rs 10 crore. Sachdeva criticized their lack of accomplishments, arguing that proper use of the remaining funds could have led to a significant improvement in Delhi’s air quality.
Additionally, he argued that real change would only come if the BJP were to take control of the Delhi government, pointing to AAP’s alleged mismanagement of both air and water pollution issues.
In contrast, AAP leaders have deflected blame, with Delhi Chief Minister Atishi recently pointing fingers at BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
She accused them of being the primary contributors to Delhi’s pollution crisis, citing factors like stubble burning, diesel buses, and brick kilns in neighboring states.
Atishi also gave AAP-ruled Punjab a clean chit on the matter, further intensifying the political blame game.
As Delhi’s pollution levels continue to rise, the political war of words between the BJP and AAP reflects deep divides over accountability and solutions for the capital’s environmental crises.
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