'Cleanest' Delhi air in a decade: Big BJP claim as Rahul Gandhi slams pollution

DElhi surroundings government minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on mon claimed that new delhi experient the cleanest day of the year due to the efforts of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Sirsa reacted to the post by Rahul Gandhi, which slammed the BJP government and raised concern over the worsening air quality in Delhi. In an X post, Gandhi said that since the Centre and the National capital are both ruled by the BJP, people expect clean air instead of excuses. Reacting to the comments, Delhi environment minister also hit back, saying that Delhi’s air quality declined during the rule of Congress and failed to improve during the rule of its ally Aam Aadmi Party.In a post on his X handle, Rahul Gandhi said that the air in Delhi is becoming poisonous, but the BJP government keeps changing excuses.“Now, both at the Centre and in Delhi, it's their own government in power. No excuses now, the public wants clean air," he said in his post. Along with the post, Gandhi also shared an 8-minute-long video in which he is seen discussing the issue with an environmentalist, Vimlendu Jha, while walking near the India Gate early morning. In the video, Gandhi talks about how he has been having breathing issues, and his eyes are burning. “The last week has been terrible," he says further.The former Congress party chief also noted that the damage to the city is throughout the year, but people tend to realise its effects only during this period. He also mentions that he had considered shifting his mother, Sonia Gandhi, out of Delhi during this time, seeing the rising levels of air pollution.Also read: 'Everyone can't leave Delhi, but...': Doctor's advice as AQI keeps worseningEnvironment minister claims pollution began during Congress ruleReacting to the comments of Gandhi, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also posted on X, accusing Gandhi of defaming the people of Delhi and the city government. He also claimed that the issue of air pollution is a creation of the Congress, followed by its ally, AAP.Hitting back, Sirsa released a video in which he said that he would like to remind Rahul Gandhi that Delhi's air quality first deteriorated under the 15-year Congress rule. Sirsa also highlighted that the most polluted days were recorded during the 25 combined years of Congress and AAP in the city.Also read: Air quality dips as 8 Punjab districts fuel 64% of farm firesMentioning Jairam Ramesh’s comments about 34 crore being spent on cloud seeding, he said, “You are systematically engaged in defaming the Delhi government.”The minister said Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday was 309, compared to 382 on the same day in 2024, when the AAP government led by Arvind Kejriwal was in power. “Rahul Gandhi ji, this disease of bad AQI is the legacy of your and Kejriwal ji's governments, and our government is treating it,” he wrote in the post.