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New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa ignited a fiery political clash by calling AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal "anpadh" (illiterate) in response to AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj's tweet mocking the BJP's claims that Punjab's stubble burning fuels Delhi's pollution crisis.
Sirsa's retort came after Bharadwaj's Tuesday post on X, which sarcastically dismissed the link between Punjab's farm fires and Delhi's hazardous air quality, citing Punjab's AQI of 156 compared to Delhi's worsening levels.
"Kejriwal is 'anpadh' himself. Watch his old videos, where he presents detailed information on Punjab's stubble burning and how quickly its pollutants travel to Delhi. If his own leaders are 'anpadh,' then what can I do?" Sirsa told in an interview with ANI.
Earlier, Sirsa, had accused AAP of "forcing" Punjab farmers to burn stubble. The minister showed videos of stubble burning in Punjab and alleged that farmers did not want to burn stubble but were being forced to do so.
"I want to show you how the Aam Aadmi Party is deliberately forcing farmers to burn stubble in Punjab by covering their faces... Farmers don't want to burn stubble, but they were told to do so. They've been forced to burn stubble by covering their faces, so that this stubble can have an impact on Delhi. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal spent ten years as Chief Minister, abusing the farmers of Punjab," he alleged.
On Sunday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the Delhi-NCR region.
The CAQM stated that actions under Stages I and II of the existing GRAP shall be implemented, monitored, and reviewed diligently by all concerned agencies in the NCR to ensure that AQI levels do not deteriorate further.
Meanwhile, Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi today remains under the "very poor" category with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) II norms already in place.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI in the RK Puram area of south west Delhi remains "very poor" at 380, as of 7:00 AM today. The AQI at Anand Vihar also remains "very poor" at 355.
Ashok Vihar recorded an AQI of 355, followed by Bawana at 376 under the "very poor" category. AQI in the Dwarka Sector 8 area remains at 353, 362 in ITO, and 394 in Nehru Nagar.
Similarly, the AQI in Chandni Chowk remains "very poor" at 332. Around Akshardham, the AQI was recorded at 360, which also falls under the "very poor" category. (ANI)