As Delhi chokes, Deputy CM Parvesh Verma blames Kejriwal: 'Bearing brunt of AAP's wrongdoing'

Officials said around 580 police personnel have been deployed at 126 checkpoints, including Delhi's border points, to ensure compliance.

As politics over rising air pollution in the national capital flared up, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Parvesh Verma on Thursday blamed the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for the pollution woes and said people of Delhi "bearing the brunt of AAP's wrongdoing".

"We accept that toxic air is a big menace," Verma said, alleging that the previous AAP government failed to take concrete steps to address the crisis and was now indulging in "drama" over pollution.

While addressing the media, Parvesh Verma launched a tirade of accusations against former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and said, "Today in Parliament, there is a discussion on air pollution. What you see in front of you are all the tasks any government should have completed to rid us of pollution. Whether it's removing mountains of garbage, repairing footpaths, e-waste management, cleaning the Yamuna, cleaning roads, etc....The AAP government should have done all these tasks in the last 11 years."

"If the AAP government had even done half of these tasks, we would have had to do only the remaining ones... But Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP government have not done even a single task in the last 11 years...Our government in Delhi has been in place for the past 9 months... From February 20, 2025, the Chief Minister of Delhi and all the ministers have been out on Delhi's roads...The Delhi government has been successful in every program," he added.

He further said, "Today, when we talk about pollution, it is not a problem that arose in one year. For years, pollution has been increasing in Delhi, and if Arvind Kejriwal had done even a little bit of work, we would have had to do only the remaining work. Still, the misfortune is that Arvind Kejriwal has deceived the people of Delhi..."

While blaming the AAP government for the current pollution crisis, Parvesh Verma said, "The problem of pollution in Delhi will not be solved in four months, nor in six months. It will reduce gradually over the years. We do not want to impose any harsh rules or conditions on the people of Delhi. For this, the people of Delhi need to cooperate with us and follow any advisories issued by the Delhi government..."

Meanwhile, the AAP has also repeatedly criticised the BJP for failing to tackle the pollution crisis in the national capital, as declining levels of air quality triggered massive health concerns. AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday accused the BJP government of fooling the people and alleged that there was no checking of entry and exit of vehicles below BS-VI.

Delhi grapples with pollution woes

The political blame game came as stricter pollution-control measures kicked in across the city under GRAP-IV. From Thursday, the entry of non-Delhi private vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards have been banned, along with the enforcement of the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule at petrol pumps.

Officials said around 580 police personnel have been deployed at 126 checkpoints, including Delhi's border points, to ensure compliance.