Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on Monday alleged that Punjab’s fields were being deliberately set on fire as part of a conspiracy. He claimed satellite data showed 1,200 farm-fire incidents on Diwali night. Meanwhile, AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj accused the government of manipulating air quality data after AQI readings crossed 3,000.
Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on Monday alleged that Punjab’s fields were being deliberately set on fire as part of a conspiracy against Delhi, hours after AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj accused the BJP-led government of manipulating air quality data on Diwali night.
Bhardwaj claimed that AQI readings had crossed 3,000 in several parts of Delhi on Diwali night and that official figures understated the pollution.
Mishra countered with allegations that people associated with Arvind Kejriwal had set fields ablaze and demanded an investigation into AAP leaders’ alleged role.
MISHRA SEEKS PROBE INTO PUNJAB FARM FIRES
Mishra said farmers in Punjab had called him and other Delhi government representatives to complain that fields were being set on fire at night.
He claimed satellite data showed 125 farm-fire incidents on November 7, with the number rising to 1,200 on Diwali night.
“This is a conspiracy against farmers and the people of Delhi,” he alleged.
Mishra urged the Punjab Chief Minister to investigate. He claimed fires were occurring in areas visited by AAP leaders from Delhi and demanded that their phone records be examined.
“A campaign to malign Diwali began two days earlier,” he said.
PUNJAB RECORDS SEASON’S BIGGEST DAILY FARM-FIRE COUNT
Punjab recorded 1,152 farm fires on November 8, its highest single-day count this season, taking the cumulative tally to 4,459.
The figures do not establish Mishra’s allegation that the fires were deliberately set by people linked to AAP.
The spike came despite around 91 per cent of the state’s paddy area having been harvested.
According to data compiled under the Indian Space Research Organisation protocol, 2,998 fields linked to reported incidents had been inspected, with stubble burning physically verified at 1,317 sites.
Tarn Taran accounted for 684 reported incidents, of which 306 were verified as stubble-burning cases. It also recorded the highest number of FIRs and the highest environmental compensation recovery.
AAP QUESTIONS DELHI’S POLLUTION READINGS
While Mishra blamed farm fires in Punjab, Bhardwaj questioned whether Delhi’s official pollution readings reflected conditions on the ground.
Citing independent monitoring platforms, he claimed AQI had crossed 3,000 in several locations. “AQI 3000 paar. Full credit to these brothers who raised pollution beyond 3000,” he wrote on X.
In two videos, Bhardwaj alleged that around 20 new monitoring stations had been installed in distant, relatively green areas. He also claimed water was being sprayed near existing stations in more polluted locations to lower their readings.
India’s official AQI scale runs from 0 to 500. Pollutant concentrations displayed by monitors are different from AQI values and cannot be used interchangeably. The basis for Bhardwaj’s claim of readings above 3,000 was not clear.
MISHRA CLAIMS POLLUTION FELL AFTER DIWALI
Defending the government’s record, Mishra maintained that Delhi’s pollution situation was better than under the Kejriwal government.
Citing pre- and post-Diwali comparisons, he claimed pollution had risen by 43.33 per cent in 2023 and about 10 per cent in 2024, but had fallen by 1.33 per cent this year.
He did not specify which pollutant or index, monitoring locations or averaging periods the comparison covered.
Neither Mishra’s allegation about AAP-linked individuals setting fields ablaze nor Bhardwaj’s claim of manipulated monitoring stations was independently established.
FIRECRACKERS CONTINUE DESPITE RESTRICTIONS
The political exchange followed widespread firecracker bursting in Delhi on Sunday night despite restrictions.
Residents reported extensive bursting in Pitampura and Burari, with particularly high intensity in Burari. Similar reports came from Mayur Vihar and parts of Lutyens’ Delhi, including Bishambardas Marg, according to PTI.
Ahead of Diwali, the Delhi government had urged residents to follow the Supreme Court’s directions on green firecrackers.
The Supreme Court had also prohibited firecracker bursting within 300 metres of hospitals, nursing homes, health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and other notified silence zones.
Only CSIR-NEERI-certified green firecrackers were permitted for sale at locations designated by Delhi Police.