Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of scapegoating Diwali for the capital’s rising pollution levels, alleging that the opposition’s narrative is a ploy to appease a “particular vote bank” by pushing for a ban on the festival’s traditions, including diyas and crackers.

“Aam Aadmi Party is fully focused on proving that the pollution here in Delhi is due to Diwali. This is because they have a particular vote bank, whom they want to appease, and that’s why they are trying hard to prove that Diwali needs to be banned due to smoke from diyas and crackers, due to which pollution happens,” Sirsa told ANI in an interview.

The minister’s sharp retort comes amid a renewed blame game in Delhi, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) dipped sligh

See Full Page