The political battle over the rising pollution levels in Delhi intensified on Monday as both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took shots at each other through social media posts and public statements.

Delhi BJP took a dig at AAP by releasing a poster that read, "Delhi me saaso ka 'Apaatkal,'" which translates to "Emergency in breath," highlighting the severe air pollution and lack of fresh air in the national capital. The BJP's post, which criticised the AAP-led Delhi government’s handling of the pollution crisis, quickly went viral.

In response, AAP also shared a provocative poster featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo, with the message: "Poore Uttar Bharat mein Modi ka Vishkaal," meaning "Poisoned time for Northern India by Narendra Modi." The AAP accused the central government of not taking sufficient steps to address the growing pollution problem in the region, particularly the issue of stubble burning.

Political slugfest

Earlier speaking at a press conference on Monday, Delhi’s Chief Minister Atishi said that Delhi-NCR is facing a medical emergency due to the rising pollution levels. She blamed the BJP-led central government for failing to tackle stubble burning, which has worsened over the past five years. Atishi pointed out that residents of Delhi, including children and the elderly, are suffering due to the toxic air.

"North India has been plunged into a medical emergency due to unchecked stubble burning. Cities across the region — Delhi, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, and MP — are all facing severe pollution," Atishi said. She added that despite the worsening issue, the central government had not taken any concrete actions to address the problem. "The people of North India are paying the price for this inaction," she stated.

Atishi also praised Punjab for its progress in reducing stubble burning. She noted that the number of farm fires in Punjab dropped significantly from over 71,000 in 2021 to just 8,404 this year, a reduction of 90%. However, she said that states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana had seen an increase in farm fires.

In response, Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana accused AAP of diverting blame instead of taking responsibility for the pollution in Delhi. He pointed out that Punjab, where AAP is in power, has also faced stubble-burning issues, yet Atishi did not address the situation in her state.

"Instead of focusing on Punjab, where AAP is in power, the Delhi government continues to blame neighboring states. Delhi has been grappling with pollution problems for the last ten years, ever since AAP took charge," Khurana said.