New Delhi [India], January 5 : Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday launched a sharp attack against the Aam Aadmi Party's MLAs' protest against rising air pollution in Delhi, saying that "the leaders wearing industrial-grade masks worth lakhs of rupees perfectly expose their hypocrisy."
AAP MLAs staged a protest inside the Delhi Assembly premises, drawing attention to the worsening air pollution levels in the national capital. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Atishi, led the protest amid AAP's efforts to press for urgent policy measures and accountability on Delhi's deteriorating air quality.
In a sharp response to the same, Sirsa said that the opposition's protest is for "their personal health" and has nothing to do with the National Capital's air quality at large, according to an official note.
"These are the same people who occupied key positions as ministers during their 11 years in power, and all they have to show today is fear for their personal health, not any contribution to cleaning Delhi's air," Sirsa said adding that, "Because the truth is that they did nothing and that's what we are going to expose in the Assembly in coming days".
He added that while the opposition leaders are busy with photo-ops, the present government under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has achieved what they could not do for more than a decade, the note stated.
Sirsa further called the process "AAP's diversion tactics" to escape from their failures and the BJP's progress and stay in the headlines. Sirsa also assured that a discussion on the pollution will take place in the ongoing Winter Session.
"The truth is that they want to escape the discussion on their failures over the past 11 years and on our government's progress in the Vidhan Sabha. We have already confirmed multiple times that a discussion on pollution will take place during the ongoing Winter Session; in fact, CM Rekha Gupta herself has announced that there will be a discussion on pollution in the upcoming days. CM has invited all the MLAs for this," Sirsa stated.
"Also, my colleague, Minister for Art & Culture Shri Kapil Mishra, had also announced it publicly a few days ago. Yet, instead of engaging on facts, they are staging drama after drama to stay in the headlines, because they know they will be exposed," Sirsa added.
Sirsa, according to the note, stated that the BJP-led Delhi has registered more ''Good Air Days' and improved air quality as compared to the previous years, calling it a result of the government's scientific approach.
"Under CM Rekha Gupta ji's leadership, Delhi has registered more 'Good Air Days' and a measurable improvement in air quality compared to previous years. This is the result of sustained efforts and a scientific approach towards pollution control that our government has adopted," the Minister emphasised.