"What steps they have taken to reduce pollution in Delhi?", BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal slams AAP

New Delhi: BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal on Sunday questioned the ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal over the steps his party has taken to reduce pollution in Delhi.
Khandelwal told ANI, "...Arvind Kejriwal and his party have been in power in Delhi for the last 10 years. What steps they have taken to reduce pollution in Delhi? Do they even look into the reasons that cause pollution?"
The BJP MP said, "When BJP leaders try to get their attention towards this issue, AAP calls it drama. But, drama is what they (AAP) are doing with the people of delhi..."
Meanwhile, the air quality deteriorated in the national capital on Sunday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) being recorded at 352, in the 'very poor' category, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). This is worse than the average AQI recorded at 255 on Saturday, categorized as 'poor'.
Moreover, the AQI in the Anand Vihar area crossed the 400 mark, being recorded as 405 at 7 AM, categorized as 'severe', worse than the AQI of 367 recorded on Saturday.
AQI at the Akshardham Temple deteriorated to 261, whereas IGI airport recorded an AQI of 324, both categorized as 'very poor.'
A layer of thick smog enveloped certain parts of the city.
As the festival of lights nears, the Delhi government has also banned firecrackers till January 1 amid efforts to curb pollution levels.
Moreover, toxic foam on the Yamuna River in the Kalindi Kunj area persisted. Earlier the pollution in the river became a topic of hot political debate between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with BJP leader Shazia Ilmi criticizing the Delhi government for its handling of the city's worsening pollution crisis, highlighting the alarming presence of toxic foam in the River Yamuna and the resulting breathing difficulties for residents.
"BJP leader Virendraa Sachdeva has fallen ill. Two days ago he took a dip in the Yamuna river. Today (October 26) he is admitted to the hospital...This is an issue connected to the health of the public of Delhi. Where have the Rs 3000 crore meant for the public of Delhi and Yamuna river?... The public of Delhi is not able to breathe...Toxic foam is floating on the Yamuna River," Ilmi told ANI a day ago.
Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai criticised the BJP, accusing it of contributing to the increasing pollution in the national capital.
"The BJP is the party that creates pollution and seems to believe that only drama can solve it. I think all governments and parties need to work together. I wish them good health, but stopping these theatrics alone won't reduce pollution. This reflects the BJP leaders' level of understanding. When I was preparing the winter action plan, I had written to the BJP President, but no response or suggestions have come so far," he told ANI on October 26.