BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa Accuses AAP of Forcing Punjab Farmers, Causing Delhi Smog

Delhi’s post-Diwali smog has ignited a fierce political showdown, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of orchestrating a sinister plot to worsen the capital’s air pollution. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa launched a scathing attack on Tuesday, alleging that AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is pressuring Punjab farmers to burn crop stubble, deliberately spiking Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) to tarnish Diwali’s festive spirit.

Sirsa claimed AAP operatives are instructing farmers to burn residue while masking their identities to evade accountability. “Farmers don’t want to burn stubble, but AAP is forcing them, covering their faces to dodge detection,” he said, asserting the intent is to frame Diwali firecrackers as the pollution culprit. “They’re maligning our festival and Hindu traditions, acting like Aurangzeb while staying silent on Bakrid’s blood-soaked streets,” Sirsa charged, accusing Kejriwal of selective cultural targeting.

Citing AQI data, Sirsa debunked AAP’s firecracker narrative: “In 2023, AQI rose 83 points post-Diwali; in 2024, it climbed 32 points despite bans; but this year, with freer celebrations, it’s only 11 points.” He argued these figures, sourced from the Central Pollution Control Board, expose stubble burning in AAP-ruled Punjab—where 1,842 farm fires were recorded in a single day last week—as the real smog driver, contributing up to 12% of Delhi’s pollution, per SAFAR estimates.

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Sirsa slammed AAP’s decade-long “failure” to curb pollution, highlighting BJP’s recent efforts: clearing 27 lakh metric tonnes of garbage, deploying thousands of electric buses, and reviving sewage treatment plants. “We’ve acted in months; they’re rattled,” he posted on X, where his claims gained traction among supporters.

AAP hit back, with Delhi’s Gopal Rai blaming the BJP-led Centre for rejecting Punjab’s farmer incentives, like Rs 1,500 per acre for residue management. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann touted 1.20 lakh stubble management machines distributed, dismissing BJP’s “anti-farmer propaganda.” Yet, with Delhi’s AQI hitting 350-362 in areas like Anand Vihar, the blame game intensifies. Environmentalists urge unified action—subsidized machinery, crop diversification—to end the smog crisis, as political barbs cloud the path to cleaner air.

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