The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hit out at the BJP government for failing to conduct artificial rainfall even as Delhi’s air turned toxic after Diwali, when banned firecrackers were openly burst alongside so-called green ones. Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj and former Environment Minister Gopal Rai questioned why the BJP government did not follow through on its own promise to cleanse the air through artificial rain on Tuesday.
“Does the BJP government want the people of Delhi to fall sick?” Saurabh Bharadwaj asked, reminding that the ruling party had claimed it would carry out artificial rainfall immediately after Diwali to bring pollution under control—but did nothing. He further pointed out that the BJP government is working hand-in-glove with private hospitals, deliberately weakening facilities in government hospitals as part of a plan to shut them down.
During a media interaction on Tuesday, senior AAP leader and Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said the BJP government has been deceiving the people of Delhi with false claims about ending pollution in the city. He said, “The BJP government had promised that it would tackle pollution by creating artificial rain after Diwali but failed to deliver on that commitment.”
“The government had claimed that they would induce artificial rain after Diwali to control pollution, but no such rain took place. If the BJP government truly had the capacity and had made a promise to make it happen, why did they not do it? Does the BJP government want the people of Delhi to fall sick and rush to private hospitals?” Saurabh Bharadwaj asked.
He further pointed out that the BJP government has a nexus with private hospitals, saying, “CM Rekha Gupta is continuously inaugurating private hospitals. Since the BJP came to power in Delhi, medicines in government hospitals are being deliberately phased out in a systematic manner. Now even diagnostic tests in government hospitals have been stopped, and public health facilities are being consistently curtailed.”
He said the government’s real motive is becoming increasingly clear — to enable private healthcare facilities, private hospitals, private clinics, and private nursing homes to make massive profits. “This is a planned attack on public healthcare in Delhi, where the government’s neglect is helping private entities thrive,” he added.
Commenting on the widespread use of regular firecrackers during Diwali despite the government’s claims about “green crackers,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “The firecracker business is worth crores of rupees, and this year the firecracker lobby has earned enormous profits. Who all shared in those profits? How did it happen that apart from green crackers, banned firecrackers were sold openly? This clearly indicates that the firecracker lobby, which manufactures products worth billions, was pressuring the government to allow their sale. If this took place under police supervision, it points to clear collusion.”
In another media interaction, he said, “The air quality index on my phone app is showing Delhi’s AQI at 600. I have no idea what the BJP government has done to cause this. But the fact remains that the Chief Minister herself doesn’t even know how to correctly pronounce AQI — yet she keeps talking about IQ, AIQ, and other such terms. I do not expect CM Rekha Gupta to understand anything about Yamuna pollution or air pollution. She simply lacks that understanding.”
He added, “A defoaming agent is used to remove the foam from the Yamuna. Until last year, when the Aam Aadmi Party government used this same chemical, the BJP used to accuse us of poisoning the river. Now, CM Rekha Gupta is using the exact same chemical, getting her photos clicked beside it, and claiming that the Yamuna’s pollution has been eliminated. The BJP deliberately appoints such individuals as Chief Ministers who mindlessly repeat their propaganda. When the Chief Minister cannot even pronounce AQI correctly, how can anyone expect her to have any grasp of pollution control?”
In a post on X, the Delhi Unit Chief wrote: “Earlier there was a doubt that BJP’s Delhi Govt had some arrangements with multi crore ‘Fire Cracker Lobby’, but now it’s almost certain. Delhi Government’s District Magistrates, their teams and Delhi Police did NOT stop the illegal sales of normal crackers though the Supreme CourtCourt’s permission was for ‘Green Crackers’ only.”
“Why was the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) data on Delhi’s Pollution levels of PM2.5 and PM10 NOT unavailable for Diwali Night ? (from 7 PM, 20th October to 6 AM, 21st October) Why did most DPCC Air pollution monitoring stations show missing data on Diwali night ? Is the Government fudging pollution data now?” asked Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Meanwhile, senior AAP leader and former Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai warned that Delhi’s air quality has reached an extremely dangerous level. “More than half of the city’s areas have now entered the red zone of pollution, yet the BJP government is sitting idle. The current Environment Minister is only making excuses,” he said.
Gopal Rai added that the BJP government has been making excuses instead of taking coordinated action. “The BJP minister said pollution is increasing because it’s coming from nearby areas — but everyone already knows that. The question is, what have the BJP governments in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and the Centre done to stop it?”
“The BJP’s Environment Minister and his government have done nothing for the past 20 days. Instead of holding talks with all stakeholders, they have only been issuing statements. The BJP government failed to prepare the Winter Action Plan on time; it was announced hastily and without preparation. Today, the pollution hotspots are in the red zone, where air quality is the worst,” Gopal Rai said.
Gopal Rai concluded with an appeal, “The pollution level is going to rise further. We urge the BJP government to stop making excuses and focus on real work to save the people of Delhi.”
