BJP demands Kejriwal’s resign from CM post over air pollution

BJP leaders on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his purported inability to reduce pollution in the capital. They also claimed that after Diwali, the city’s air quality has improved.

BJP MP and former Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said the city’s air quality index (AQI) levels were worse before Diwali. The AQI had improved after the festival, showing that Diwali is not to be blamed for pollution in Delhi, he said.

Before Diwali, the AQI was 330 and after Diwali this morning (Wednesday) it is 306. (This is) the benefits of bursting green crackers. So those who were blaming Diwali should now worry that if the pollution gets worse from now on then don’t blame it on Diwali,” Tiwari said in a tweet in Hindi on Wednesday.

Due to a favourable wind speed on Wednesday morning, Delhi’s air quality improved, but it was still considered “poor.”

At 10.10 am, the AQI was 255, down from 303 at 4 pm on Tuesday. On Monday, the day of Diwali, around 4 p.m., it was recorded at 312.

An AQI of 0 to 50 is regarded as “excellent,” 51 to 100 as “acceptable,” 101 to 200 as “moderate,” 201 to 300 as “poor,” 301 to 400 as “extremely poor,” and 401 to 500 as “severe.”

Parvesh Sahib Singh, a BJP member from West Delhi, sought Kejriwal’s resignation for his failure to manage pollution, on the other hand.

An AQI of 0 to 50 is regarded as “excellent,” 51 to 100 as “acceptable,” 101 to 200 as “moderate,” 201 to 300 as “poor,” 301 to 400 as “extremely poor,” and 401 to 500 as “severe.”

Parvesh Sahib Singh, a BJP member from West Delhi, sought Kejriwal’s resignation for his failure to manage pollution, on the other hand.

In response to social media images of pollution, Singh tweeted that Delhi’s AQI has fallen into the “extremely poor” level.

Party spokeswoman Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga responded to the same images by claiming Diwali and fireworks were not to blame for Delhi’s declining air quality.

The nearby cities of Ghaziabad (population: 262), Noida (population: 246), Greater Noida (196), Gurugram (population: 242), and Faridabad (population: 243) all have “moderate” to “poor” air quality.

In the past two years, Delhi and its surrounding areas have experienced severe air quality after Diwali, which is typically observed in November. Low temperatures and calm winds trap pollutants during the month of November, when stubble burning peaks.