New Delhi [India], January 15 : With people of Delhi reeling under heavy air pollution in the winters, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra has said that the BJP government in the national capital is working for short, medium and long-term solutions to tackle the problem that has serious health concerns and that plying of electric buses is a step in this direction.
In an interview with ANI, he also attacked the previous Aam Adami Party government and said it is difficult to recall even five steps it had taken to tackle air pollution.
He said the BJP government is promoting electric vehicles in public transport.
"Just yesterday the Chief Minister had an in-depth discussion. I can tell you on behalf of the government that you will definitely have to tackle pollution in three parts: short-term, mid-term, and long-term... You must have seen the EV buses, the electric buses that have started running in Delhi. They could have run earlier. Why didn't they? The work that wasn't done in the last 11 years was done in 11 months. Chhath Puja was held, new buses arrived," he said.
He also attacked the AAP government over the liquor policy case.
"Today, you people are walking around with water bottles... For 11 years, during your government, you were walking around with liquor bottles... Tell me five things the previous government did to reduce pollution," Mishra said.
Answering a query, Mishra also said that slogans raised during a purported protest over air pollution were not about the problem faced by people but "slogans of that protest, are a problem of mental pollution".
"If we talk about the protest, the slogans being chanted were not about pollution... This protest, and the slogans of that protest, are a problem of mental pollution. It is not a problem of air pollution or water pollution, and its treatment is already underway where the Naxalites are. Those who still have terrorism and Naxalism left in their minds, that too will be completely cured," he said.
During a protest at India Gate in November last year, the protesters had carried poster hailing Naxalite leader Madvi Hidma who was killed by security forces in an encounter.
Police arrested 22 people were arrested for allegedly blocking a road, obstructing police and using pepper spray at Delhi Police personnel during a protest at India Gate.
Delhi Police had registered FIRs in two police stations for staging a protest at the C hexagon on India Gate, and allegedly using chilli spray/pepper spray on police personnel.
"The protesters were holding posters of Maoist commander Madvi Hidma (who was recently killed in the encounter). When they tried to block the road, the police tried to remove them, but they sprayed pepper spray on the police personnel and tried to attack them. The police are now taking legal action against them," Delhi Police had said in a statement.