AAP, Congress target BJP as Delhi air quality plummets: 'India Gate disappeared'

Rulers’ faces change, but the reality doesn’t, and the political squabble continues. That’s the story that Delhi sees as winter approaches every year. As a grey haze engulfed the national capital on Monday (November 3) as the city’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category, the Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress launched a fresh tirade against the ruling BJP over the worsening situation.

Also read: Why cloud-seeding trial to produce rain in Delhi was bound to fail

The AAP, which lost power in Delhi earlier this year to the BJP, on Monday shared a photo of the India Gate, faintly visible behind thick smog, on its X handle and said the iconic landmark had “disappeared”. It accused the BJP, which is in power both at the Centre and in Delhi, of tampering with the Air Quality Index (AQI) and said its attempts were exposed by the “vanishing” India Gate.

BJP accused of manipulating AQI data

“India Gate has disappeared in Delhi…No matter how much the government tampers with the AQI, India Gate has exposed the BJP's true colors by vanishing behind the smog,” the party’s Delhi unit said in a post on X in Hindi.

दिल्ली में इंडिया गेट ही हुआ ग़ायब 😳

सरकार AQI में कितनी भी हेरा फेरी कर ले लेकिन इंडिया गेट नें Smog के पीछे ग़ायब होकर भाजपा की पोल खोल दी है।

सरकारी आंकड़ो के झांसे में न आयें। स्थिति गंभीर है, अपना और अपने परिवार का ध्यान रखें 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/QOILzPpIZi

— Aam Aadmi Party Delhi (@AAPDelhi) November 2, 2025

AAP’s Delhi chief and the state’s former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told reporters in the capital that most applications on people’s mobile phones were uploading data from the government’s own stations monitoring the air quality, suggesting that the information could be compromised.

In another video shared by the AAP, the leader was spotted outside an AQI monitoring station in Delhi. The leader and his party alleged that water was being sprinkled round the clock outside the unit so that machines installed there showed lower AQI readings.

Priyanka's request to PM, Delhi CM

Congress MPs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jairam Ramesh also took on the Delhi government over Delhi’s air-quality scenario. Vadra, who represents the Wayanad constituency in Kerala, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday (November 2) to address the situation on an urgent basis.

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In a post on X, she said, “Returning to the Delhi air from Wayanad first, then Bachwara in Bihar is truly shocking. The pollution enveloping this city is like a grey shroud thrown over it.”

She also appealed to all political leaders, irrespective of their differences, to unanimously back the Centre and the state government over the action they take to improve the air quality.

Ramesh mocks cloud-seeding attempt

Ramesh, who is also the Congress’s general secretary in-charge (communications), criticised the government’s recent unsuccessful attempt at cloud-seeding to tackle the pollution. Citing a specialised report from IIT Delhi, he said it made it clear that winter cloud-seeding would help little in bettering the atrocious air quality in Delhi. He also mentioned that Rs 34 crore had been spent to run the trials.

Aaditya Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), which is in Opposition to the BJP-led government in Maharashtra, also expressed concern over the situation in Delhi.

Also read: Delhi air pollution spikes post-Diwali: What is the way out? | Capital Beat

“What’s more worrisome is the strategies made to hide the real AQI numbers. What’s problem does the Union and State Government have to accept the situation and bring about Socio- political consensus on climate action?” he asked on X.

SC seeks report

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday was told that many air-quality monitoring stations in Delhi were not functional. A counsel at the apex court asked the feasibility of implementing the Graded Response Action Plan successfully if crucial data on the state of affairs were not available.

After amicus curiae Aparajita Singh requested the court to ask the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to take pre-emptive measures to curb the growing levels of pollution, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai asked the two bodies to give a report mentioning details about steps being taken to ensure that the air quality did not deteriorate more.

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According to a Live Law report, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, said, “The Central Pollution Control Board, in consultation with the State Pollution Control Boards and their respective regional offices within the districts coming under the NCR shall monitor the air quality index in their respective jurisdictions starting from 14.10.2025 till 25.10.2025 and file a report before this Court, specifying the air quality of each day indicated hereinabove.

“Along with such monitoring the Regional Offices of the State Pollution Control Boards shall also take samples of sand and water from sites having more density of use for analysis.”

Also read: Are Indians breathing fresh air? Check out 2024 IQAir Report

On October 14, the Supreme Court allowed the use of green crackers in Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) for Diwali celebrations between 8 pm and 10 pm. However, celebrations reportedly continued well past the allotted time, leaving the capital city’s air quality terribly compromised.

According to the CPCB, Delhi recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 316 on Monday, indicating persistent pollution levels.

As many as 28 monitoring stations recorded 'very poor' air quality with readings above 300, the CPCB's Sameer app showed.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.

(With agency inputs)