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'Who said it's public protest?': Delhi minister points to AAP while smog worsens, AQI data missing from app
“We are ensuring your children do not suffer from this illness… inherited over the last 10 years,” Delhi environment minister MS Sirsa says
Delhi's environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has held the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) responsible for the bad air quality of the national capital, and questioned if the recent protest held over pollution was indeed a “public protest”. He argued that the BJP government has done a lot since it came to power this year, after 10 years of AAP.
As to how polluted Delhi's really is, the latest data was not available on the official app since after noon on Monday, November 10. The latest reading thus was in the ‘very poor’ category again.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) stopped issuing AQI readings on its app Sameer and the website after 12.15 pm, when the AQI stood at 345. Officials blamed a technical glitch for the lapse, assuring that the system would likely be restored soon, as of last information at 6 pm.
What MS Sirsa said on protests, AAP, Delhi AQI
“Everyone, absolutely, has the right to protest. Through protests, the government becomes more conscious of its duties,” Sirsa said while speaking to reporters on Monday.
Also read | 'Bachche saans nahi lete?' When Delhiites took over India Gate for clean air
About why protesters were detained from India Gate, he said, “They were just told that there are Supreme Court guidelines (against protesting at India Gate), so they could hold the protest at Jantar Mantar instead. That was the only point.”
“And the second point I want to make is about the Aam Aadmi Party that is protesting. They are the ones who left behind this filth accumulated over 10 years,” Sirsa said. “This is what's called ‘ulta chor kotwal ko dante’ ('thief scolding cops' or pot calling the kettle black). That's what has happened."
When asked to react to the protesters' concerns, he first said, “Listen, listen, no, forget what the public is saying. People belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party are saying it! Who is saying it's a 'public protest? (Delhi AAP chief) Saurabh Bhardwaj ji is saying it's a public protest; AAP leaders are saying it's a public protest. The public itself is not saying it's a public protest.”
He went on to explain measures taken by the BJP's Delhi administration: “Last year the AQI was 500, touched 1,000. This is a disease we inherited. But since the government led by (CM) Rekha Gupta ji came into power, we are succeeding in cleaning up every month.”
He added, “We are succeeding in removing the garbage hills; in installing anti-smog devices on high-rise buildings in Delhi. We are working on mitigation of dust within Delhi. (More) electric buses are coming to Delhi. This is our continuous effort."
He said an “ailment of over 10 years” could not be healed in “just six or seven months” — the BJP came to power in February 2025. “We are ensuring that your children do not suffer from this illness in the coming years, which you inherited over the last 10 years,” he said in an appeal to citizens.
What AAP has said
AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj, meanwhile, acknowledged that the problem is not new. He argued, however: “The anger among people stems from the government's deception and tampering with data.”
He accused the BJP government of shuting down AQI monitoring stations, or using water sprays near them to tamp down the readings when pollution spikes.
"People are troubled and stunned to see that major institutions are involved in this tampering, and that the fraud is happening openly. The government's intention is not to reduce pollution but to reduce its figures," Bharadwaj told news agency ANI.
Non-functioning AQI monitors
The issue of non-functioning AQI monitors came up in the Supreme Court, too, recently, and it has asked for a report from the Centre for Air Quality Management (CAQM) which is tasked with coordinating anti-pollution measures in the Delhi and the wider National Capital Region including districts such as Noida and Ghaziabad in UP, and Gurugram in Haryana, among others.
Congress comms head and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh also hit out at the Delhi government and the police for preventing citizens from protesting on the issue on Sunday.
Many of the protesters chanted slogans questioning the current government, but some said this is not a political issue. A resident of Delhi, Neha, told ANI, “We have only one issue, and that's clean air. This problem has been going on for years, but no action is being taken… This is a violation of Article 21, our right to life… This isn't a political matter. It's about clean air.”
