The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has slammed the Delhi’s BJP government for its ‘Tughlaqi’ order, declaring it anti-people and pro-corporate. AAP has denounced the abrupt directive to remove 60 lakh vehicles older than 10 years from Delhi’s roads, describing it as a “Tughlaqi diktat” designed to benefit automobile manufacturers at the expense of ordinary citizens.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, pointed out that the BJP is colluding with vehicle manufacturers to force mass vehicle replacement. She demanded that the BJP come clean and tell the people of Delhi the exact amount it has received in donations from automobile companies for elections. “This is the real reason behind the sudden ban on old vehicles,” Atishi said.
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia took to ‘X’ and wrote, “In just five months, even children in Delhi have realized that BJP leaders have no idea how to run a government. All they know is how to harass people, loot them, demolish their homes, and ruin lives. How will stopping petrol supply to 10-year-old cars and bikes reduce pollution? All this has done is bring windfall profits to petrol pumps on Delhi’s borders in UP and Haryana. These pumps now have long queues, and 90 percent of the people in those lines are Delhi residents with 10-year-old vehicles.”
Manish Sisodia continued, “Someone who only needed to travel 5–10 kilometers is now driving 15–20 kilometers to petrol pumps near Delhi’s borders just to get fuel and drive within the city. Tell me, isn’t this increasing pollution, traffic congestion, and the suffering of the common man? That’s why we say, these people can’t run a government—they only know how to trouble the public.”
“It’s been only five months since they came to power, yet in such a short time, they have left no opportunity to torment the people. Electricity supply is unreliable, there’s no proper water, the government stays silent on the loot by private schools, the homes of the poor are being mercilessly demolished, and now car owners are being targeted with a Tughlaqi Farman. Today, even BJP’s own voters are regretting their decision—did they vote for this? This is not a government; it’s a punishment imposed on the people, one that grows heavier by the day,” the post concluded.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader and Delhi Assembly LoP, Atishi stated, “The BJP government has imposed a ‘Tughlaqi Farman’ aimed solely at harassing Delhiites. Under this order, vehicles older than 10 years will be denied fuel and will be forced off the roads. This means 62 lakh vehicles will have to be removed overnight—40 lakh two-wheelers and 20 lakh four-wheelers.”
Highlighting the disruption this move would cause to ordinary lives, Atishi said, “Most working-class people in Delhi rely on two-wheelers to commute to their offices. How are these 40 lakh motorcyclists supposed to reach work now? How will they go about their daily lives?”
“On the other hand, many senior citizens in Delhi use their vehicles just to go to the local market. These people often buy second-hand vehicles for local, limited use. Are these elderly citizens now expected to walk to the market and carry home 10-kg bags in their hands? Is this what the BJP wants,” she asked.
Calling out the irrationality of the order, the former CM stated, “This BJP government order is nothing short of a Tughlaqi, baseless, and illogical decree. The age of a vehicle has nothing to do with the pollution it causes. Well-maintained vehicles, even if old, do not emit pollution. An old vehicle does not automatically mean a heavily used vehicle. Some cars run three lakh kilometers in just seven years, while others, even after 15 years, haven’t clocked more than 50,000 kilometers. According to BJP’s order, a vehicle that has run three lakh kilometers can stay on the road, but one that’s done only 50,000 must go. If this isn’t draconian, what is?”
Criticizing the arbitrariness of the decision, Atishi asserted, “Is this a government or ‘Phulera ki Panchayat’? The BJP government passes any order that pops into its head, regardless of logic or connection to pollution control. If this order is analyzed, the real motive behind removing 10-year-old vehicles appears to be a backdoor deal between the BJP and vehicle manufacturers. Removing 62 lakh vehicles from the road means 62 lakh people will be forced to buy new bikes and cars. The only ones to benefit from this will be the automobile companies.”
Challenging the BJP directly, the Delhi Assembly LoP stated, “Let the BJP come clean and tell Delhi’s people how much donation it has received from two-wheeler and four-wheeler manufacturers over the last five years. The BJP should place before the public the exact amount received from these vehicle companies for elections. Then the truth will be crystal clear. This is the only real reason behind pushing old vehicles off the roads—forcing people to buy new ones to benefit automobile manufacturers.”
Responding to the BJP’s justification of the order based on NGT directions, Atishi questioned, “If the BJP’s so called ‘four-engine government’ is so powerful, why hasn’t it brought in a new law? NGT, Supreme Court, and High Courts issue orders based on existing laws. When the Supreme Court gave full powers to the elected Delhi government in the Aam Aadmi Party case, the BJP-led central government brought an ordinance within eight days. So why can’t the BJP now pass a new law in the Delhi Assembly or Parliament?”
“A law could set vehicle fitness and mileage as the basis for its age. If the BJP genuinely wanted to help Delhi’s citizens, it could easily do so. But the BJP cares less about Delhiites and more about the interests of vehicle manufacturers who donate crores to their party. That’s why they want these companies to sell 40 lakh new bikes and 20 lakh new cars, reaping profits of thousands of crores. This is the only real motive behind this decision to ban old vehicles from Delhi roads,” Atishi concluded.
