Delhi Chief Minister Ignores Air Pollution Questions While Campaigning in Bihar as AQI Reaches Dangerous Levels

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has traveled to Bihar for election campaign activities while Delhi faces severe pollution issues.

New Delhi:

When approached by NDTV on Tuesday regarding Delhi's air pollution crisis, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta declined to respond and turned away from the camera. Gupta was in Bihar campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of Thursday's first phase of the 2025 Bihar Assembly election.

Delhi residents woke up Tuesday to dangerous smog conditions that have persisted since Diwali celebrations last month, when the Supreme Court permitted 'green' firecrackers. The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) registered at a 'very poor' 309 on a scale of 500.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which governed Delhi for 11 years before the BJP's victory in February's election, has criticized Gupta's administration for a "complete failure" in addressing what they describe as a "public health emergency."

Former Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal posted on X that the BJP's 'four-engine government' - referring to BJP control at federal, state, and local levels - has "ruined everything." He advised Delhi residents to protect themselves as "this government is not going to do anything for you." The AAP has also accused the BJP administration of manipulating AQI data.

Virendra Sachdev, Delhi BJP unit chief, refuted these allegations, describing Kejriwal's statements as "baseless" and "fabricated." Sachdev defended Gupta's campaign travel, stating: "If it is wrong for Rekha Gupta to go to Bihar during the pollution period, then what about flood-affected Punjab's Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's visit to Gujarat?"

Despite a significant 77.5 percent reduction in stubble burning, Delhi's air quality following Diwali deteriorated to a five-year low on October 21. PM2.5 concentrations reached alarming averages of 488 micrograms per cubic meter - approximately 100 times above safe exposure limits - representing a 212 percent increase from pre-Diwali readings. The highest recorded measurement was an extremely dangerous 675 micrograms per cubic meter during Diwali night.

With input from agencies

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