New Delhi [India], November 18 : BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Monday lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leader Arvind Kejriwal for failing to address both the severe pollution in Delhi and the ongoing contamination of the Yamuna River.
Speaking about the increasing pollution levels in the national capital, Poonawalla said, "Delhi is setting new records in terms of air pollution every day... AAP and Arvind Kejriwal have done nothing in this, they just did politics."
Poonawalla accused AAP of not taking action against the growing pollution. He pointed out that the party, which once blamed stubble burning in Punjab for Delhi's pollution, has remained silent after coming to power in Punjab. "Earlier they used to blame stubble burning in Punjab but when they came to power in Punjab, they became silent... Yamuna water is so polluted," he added.
Poonawalla also commented on the resignation of Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot, calling it a sign of AAP's failure. " Not BJP, but Kailash Gehlot is saying that AAP has failed on pollution and Yamuna... Kailash Gehlot's resignation is proof of AAP's political transformation. This is not the Aam Aadmi Party but Kejriwal's special party. When Kailash Gehlot resigned, Sanjay Singh and his gang said there was pressure from ED, and CBI, if there was so much pressure then why did you not expel them from the party? They (AAP) have not fulfilled any promise," he said.
The BJP spokesperson further slammed AAP for not fulfilling their promises on pollution control. "For the last 10 years, they have done nothing about pollution, only indulged in empty politics," he said. Poonawalla pointed to the rising number of stubble-burning cases in Punjab, saying, "Over 7,000 cases of stubble burning have occurred in Punjab. Now, see the situation in Delhi. Is pollution in Delhi happening because of Diwali? Is it happening because of people from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana? No, Delhi's pollution is due to internal causes."
The BJP spokesperson also expressed concern about the impact of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4) measures, including halting construction work and school closures. He questioned the consequences for construction workers and children staying at home, saying, "Where will [construction workers] get their wages from? Schools are closed. Children will have to stay home. Senior citizens can't even go for walks in the park."
On the issue of Yamuna, Poonawalla said that despite spending 8,000 crores, the river remains polluted. "The toxic foam remains... Despite spending 8,000 crores, the toxic foam remains," he said.
He then criticised AAP for protecting corruption instead of tackling it. "They used to criticize those who were corrupt but now sit with them," he added, pointing to AAP's changing political alliances and the resignation of key leaders like Anna Hazare and Kumar Vishwas.