Delhi’s air pollution debate intensified as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) President Saurabh Bhardwaj on Wednesday accused four government agencies of manipulating air quality data during Diwali, calling it a “criminal act.” The controversy emerged after reports claimed that the Nehru Nagar monitoring station recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 1763 before it was reportedly shut down.

Bhardwaj alleged that the coordinated efforts by multiple government bodies compromised public health information. He said that such actions are politically motivated and undermine citizens’ right to accurate environmental data.

In response, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa defended the government’s record, presenting data showing that Diwali’s contribution to the capital’s pollution levels was minor. Sirsa highlighted historical AQI figures, noting that the night before Diwali, the index was 345, lower than 414 in 2020 and 382 in 2021. Following firecracker activity, the AQI rose slightly to 356, an 11-point increase, which he said is modest compared to previous years.

Sirsa also noted that even in years with firecracker bans, pollution levels spiked significantly—for example, last year, AQI jumped from 328 to 360, and in 2023, from 218 to 301. He argued that the AAP’s focus on Diwali as the main cause of pollution is misleading and amounts to unfairly blaming Hindu traditions.

The minister accused AAP of attempting to appease a “particular vote bank” by pushing for restrictions on traditional Diwali activities such as bursting firecrackers and lighting diyas. He emphasized that systemic factors, rather than the festival alone, contribute to Delhi’s air quality challenges, and that demonizing Diwali is politically motivated rather than scientifically justified.