As air pollution levels rose the day after Diwali , the Delhi government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had “forced” farmers in Punjab to burn stubble to foul the capital’s air.

The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) at 4 pm on Tuesday was 351 (very poor), up from 345 on Monday.

At a press conference, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa showed pictures and videos of people with their faces covered, burning paddy stubble.

“I want to show you how the Aam Aadmi Party [which rules Punjab] is deliberately forcing farmers to burn stubble in Punjab by covering their faces… Farmers have been forced to burn stubble by covering their faces, so that this can impact Delhi,” Sirsa said.

“Diwali is not a BJP festival; it’s a Sana

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