'Delhi coughing, Arvind Kejriwal...': BJP leader takes 'cough' dig at CM over pollution

BJP and AAP have been trading barbs over the pollution levels in Delhi-NCR.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Friday took a dig at Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over the severe air pollution in the national capital, saying that while the CM is 'healthy", the entire city is “coughing”. “Once upon a time, Delhi was healthy and Arvind Kejriwal was coughing…Today Kejriwal is healthy and whole Delhi is coughing,” Sirsa wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa

A thick blanket of toxic smog had gripped Delhi and its neighbouring regions for the past 10 days, making it difficult for people to breathe. However, after an intermittent rain, the air quality index which was over 450 in the ‘severe plus’ category, came down to the ‘very poor’ category on Friday. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), Delhi's air quality at 1 pm stood at 314. On Thursday night, the AQI was recorded at 460 - which is the severe category.

The air quality is expected to improve further due to wind speed favourable for the dispersion of pollutants.

Meanwhile, in another X post, Sirsa continued his attack on Kejriwal saying, “ultimately the divine intervention (rainfall) has come to rescue Delhiites”.

“Rain Gods have come down to give relief to people Delhi who were living in Gas chamber for the last 10 days. Now Even Almighty God knows that people of Delhi are helpless under this self proclaimed 'Delhi ka Malik' Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi is literally ‘Bhagwaan bharose’,” he wrote.

BJP and AAP have been trading barbs over the pollution levels in Delhi-NCR. While the saffron party has been blaming the Kejriwal government for not doing enough to improve the air quality in the city, the Delhi government has been urging neighbouring states to do more in the fight against pollution.