Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has launched a major attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its chief Arvind Kejriwal. In a press conference on Tuesday, Sirsa stated that Kejriwal is a favorite of Aurangzeb and has indirectly contributed to the increase in pollution levels in Delhi.
AAP: Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has launched a major attack on the Aam Aadmi Party and its chief Arvind Kejriwal. In a press conference on Tuesday, Sirsa alleged that the AAP government in Punjab is forcing farmers to burn stubble, thereby increasing pollution in the national capital.
During this, Sirsa addressed Arvind Kejriwal as Arvind Khan Kejriwal and called him a favorite of Aurangzeb. The minister made several other serious remarks on the matter, which have become a subject of controversy.
Allegation of Deliberately Forcing Stubble Burning
Sirsa claimed that the AAP government in Punjab is forcing farmers to burn stubble, which is increasing air pollution in Delhi and NCR. He said, "It is clearly visible in the video that farmers are being forced to burn stubble with their faces covered. Farmers do not want to burn it themselves, but are being compelled to do so under AAP's pressure."
Sirsa also alleged that this step was taken to appease a particular community. He said that AAP leaders tried to affect people's faith by imposing a ban on firecrackers during Diwali.
Questioning AQI Data
Sirsa also targeted AAP over the Air Quality Index (AQI) data during Diwali in Delhi. He stated that on Diwali day in 2023, the AQI was 218, which rose to 301 the next morning, an increase of 83 points. In 2024, the AQI was 328 on Diwali day and reached 360 the next day.
However, in 2025, when there was no ban on firecrackers and people were celebrating Diwali according to their traditions, the AQI increased from 345 on Diwali day to 356 the next day, an increase of only 11 points. Regarding this, Sirsa said, "It's just an 11-point increase, what's the problem with that? People are celebrating the festival according to their faith and traditions."
Allegation of Ruining Delhi
Sirsa accused AAP and Arvind Kejriwal of having inflicted a "27-year disease" upon Delhi. He mentioned that his associated government removed 2.7 million metric tons of waste, operated thousands of electric buses, and restarted Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). Sirsa stated, "Arvind Kejriwal and his party have plundered Delhi more than even the Britishers. They have deliberately deteriorated the city's cleanliness and environmental situation."
Sirsa also accused AAP of dragging religion into politics. He stated, "AAP is deliberately bringing religion into the picture. This is being done solely to appease a particular religion. Blaming Diwali is like working in favor of that religion." He added that if the Muslim community performs sacrifices on the streets during Eid al-Adha (Bakrid), Kejriwal would not try to stop it. "The objective is clear: political exploitation of religious sentiments," he concluded.
Sirsa Called Kejriwal 'Arvind Khan Kejriwal'
In this entire debate, Sirsa referred to Kejriwal as 'Arvind Khan Kejriwal' and called him a favorite of Aurangzeb. He asserted that the sole objective of AAP and Kejriwal is to appease a specific community and gain political mileage in the name of religion. Sirsa stated, "Those who celebrate Diwali are being mocked. But the AQI figures themselves show that pollution did not significantly increase even when firecrackers were banned. This is merely politics in the name of religion."
