Delhi’s familiar post-Diwali haze returned thicker than ever this year, pushing the city’s air quality into the “very poor” and “severe” categories. While the smog cloaked the skyline, politics once again clouded the atmosphere. BJP’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the Aam Aadmi Party of “maligning Hindus” and “defaming Diwali” through what he described as a “manufactured narrative” around firecracker bans and festive pollution.
Speaking exclusively to ANI, Sirsa alleged that the AAP was deliberately linking pollution to Diwali to appease what he called a “select vote bank.” “They want people to believe that diyas and crackers are to blame for Delhi’s air. It’s dishonest and divisive,” he said. “The pollution levels rose only slightly after Diwali — far less than during AAP’s time in power.”
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) rose from 345 on Diwali eve to 356 the next day. PM2.5 levels touched a five-year high despite reports showing a 77% drop in farm fires across Punjab and Haryana.
AAP Fires Back: ‘Politics Won’t Clear the Air’
Responding sharply, AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj dismissed the BJP’s claims as “shameful politics at the cost of public health.” He said, “Sirsa is trying to communalise a pollution crisis. When Punjab’s AQI remains moderate and Delhi’s hits severe, the BJP should ask what its own government is doing to control local emissions.”
The Congress also weighed in, criticising both parties for what it called “a collapse of environmental governance” in the national capital. “Every winter, people gasp while leaders play blame games,” a party spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have rolled out anti-smog guns, water sprinklers, and street-washing operations to curb the particulate matter choking the city.
According to the CPCB, Tuesday’s AQI readings stood at Lodhi Road (343), Sirifort (274), Greater Noida (282), and Ghaziabad (324) , all hovering in the “very poor” range. Visibility in parts of the city dropped below 400 metres during the morning rush hour, slowing traffic and prompting health warnings from the Delhi government.
Environmental experts have warned that stagnant wind conditions and increased humidity will likely keep pollution levels high through the week. For now, Delhiites continue to endure another festive season of toxic air, where celebration quickly turned into suffocation and the blame game shows no sign of ending.
