Punjab News:BJP Govt Is Defaming Punjab’s Farmers to Cover Up Its Own Failures: AAP

Why is BJP Govt unable to reduce pollution in Delhi despite stubble not being burnt in Punjab? AAP

Bhagwant Mann Govt has reduced stubble-burning incidents by 95% in collaboration with farmers: Saurabh Bharadwaj

Last year, 5,000 cases were registered, while this year only 1,000 cases have been reported: Saurabh Bharadwaj

BJP Govt is providing farmers with no assistance or resources to prevent stubble burning: Anurag Dhanda

Stubble-burning incidents are increasing annually at rate of 153% in Madhya Pradesh & 30% in UP: Anurag Dhanda

52% of all stubble-burning incidents in country are taking place in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh alone: Anurag Dhanda

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hit back at BJP Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who is blaming Punjab’s farmers for Delhi’s increasingly toxic air. The AAP said that the BJP government is defaming Punjab’s farmers to conceal its own government’s failures in Delhi and could stoop to any extent in the process. AAP asked BJP Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa to stop fabricating lies about Punjab’s farmers and police and answer why the BJP government is failing miserably to control pollution in Delhi despite stubble not being burnt in Punjab.

Meanwhile, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj attacked the BJP, saying, “BJP Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa thinks that if his department manipulates data and presents false AQI figures, he can fool the people of Delhi. Last year too, they blamed Punjab’s farmers for their own failures. Then, data from their own Central Government exposed their lies and showed that after the AAP government came to power in Punjab, stubble-burning cases had declined by nearly 80 to 90%. Before the government was formed, around 71,000 cases were reported.”

Saurabh Bharadwaj further stated, “Last year, 5,000 cases were reported, and today they themselves are saying that only 1,000 cases have been reported. This shows that stubble burning there has declined by nearly 90 to 95%. Manjinder Singh Sirsa has passed Class 12 and is the Environment Minister. Does he even understand the environment?”

He noted that Manjinder Singh Sirsa wasted government money by claiming that he would arrange artificial rain, but no artificial rain took place. “The Central Government had written to his department that artificial rain was not possible in Delhi during this season. Yet he went ahead and wasted money. Who is accountable for this?,” Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned.

Saurabh Bharadwaj added, “When the BJP government came to power, Delhi had 39 AQI monitoring stations. They installed 7 more last year and 13 this year. The Delhi government is installing 20 new monitoring stations in green areas. These are being installed so that the lower AQI in green areas can bring down Delhi’s average AQI figures. They do not want to reduce pollution; they only want to reduce the numbers. I exposed their wrongdoing last year.”

The AAP Delhi Unit chief recalled, “Last year, water tankers were circling the AQI monitoring station in Anand Vihar and spraying water over the station. They were doing the same thing in Dwarka. They do not want to reduce pollution; they only want to lower the data. This is what happens when someone who has only passed Class 12 is made a minister: he resorts to manipulation.”

He continued, “The entire Rajouri Garden and Punjabi Bagh knows Manjinder Singh Sirsa’s background and what he has done throughout his life. I do not need to say anything about him. He has no connection whatsoever with pollution.”

Meanwhile, AAP National Media In-charge Anurag Dhanda said, “BJP minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa in Delhi is like a student who has not studied all year and then claims that the child sitting on the neighbouring bench prevented him from taking the exam. Manjinder Singh Sirsa should stop making excuses. The BJP government is solely responsible for Delhi’s pollution.”

Anurag Dhanda asked the BJP why it constantly abuses and defames Punjab. He said, “When the Aam Aadmi Party government came to power in Punjab in 2022, there were 80,000 farm-fire cases in the state. Bhagwant Mann persuaded farmers and worked with them to bring this number down to fewer than 5,000 last year. This year, with the help of farmers, farm-fire cases in Punjab have become almost negligible.”

Anurag Dhanda asked why the BJP never speaks about Uttar Pradesh. “Farm-fire cases in Uttar Pradesh are increasing every year at a rate of 25 to 30%. Incidents of farm fires have risen sharply over the past few years in Meerut, Aligarh, Agra and across the entire western Uttar Pradesh region. The farmers are not at fault. The BJP’s Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh does not help farmers or provide them with any resources,” he added.

He asked BJP minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa why he never speaks about Madhya Pradesh, and noted, “Records have been broken in Madhya Pradesh, where farm-fire cases are increasing annually at a rate of 150%. Last year, 52% of all farm-fire incidents in the country took place in Madhya Pradesh alone, where the BJP has been in power for several consecutive terms. What has the BJP done there to reduce these incidents? And, most importantly, what has Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa done to reduce pollution in Delhi?”

The AAP National Media In-charge further questioned the BJP whether it could provide even a single example of any step taken by its government to reduce pollution in Delhi. “If they do nothing, how will pollution come down on its own? It is already known that pollution rises in Delhi during this time of the year. Why, then, was no preparation made in advance? Last time, they claimed that they would reduce pollution by bringing rain through cloud seeding, but they ended up pocketing the money and indulging in corruption,” he said.

Anurag Dhanda asserted, “Defaming Punjab will neither benefit the BJP’s politics nor the people of Delhi. The BJP must take concrete steps to reduce pollution in Delhi. Compare the AQI of Punjab with that of Delhi. Punjab has clear skies and clean air, and there is no stubble smoke at this time.” He concluded by saying that the BJP, minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the country’s Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must be held accountable for where the smoke in Delhi is coming from.