With the Delhi government accusing Punjab for the poor Air Quality Index (AQI) in the National Capital Region (NCR), Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Tuesday that the AAP-ruled state has AQI varying between 70 and 110, while Delhi’s AQI is above the 450-mark, and sought to know from the BJP-ruled Centre and the Delhi government who do they blame now.
Referring to Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Mann said even before harvesting had begun in Punjab, he (Sirsa) had started blaming the smoke from Punjab coming to Delhi. “There has always been an attempt to blame Punjab,” Mann said.
“Wheat sowing has been completed in Punjab. The harvesting season is over, too. Stubble burning is not happening in Punjab, but Delhi’s air is still polluted. Who will the people of Delhi blame now? The chief minister asked, speaking with reporters at his residence.
Later, in a video message, Mann praised Punjab farmers for not burning stubble. “The Centre agreed in Parliament that stubble fires reduced by 70 per cent in Punjab, which was seconded by the central ministers who visited Punjab to take stock of damage caused by floods,” the chief minister said.
“As the air quality in Delhi is still bad. I want to tell the Centre that it should praise the farmers’ efforts at least now. The situation is bad in Delhi. Flights are being cancelled. Construction activity is being banned. I want to tell the Centre that Punjab farmers should not be defamed. Political leaders do politics, but the ‘ann-daata’ should not be defamed. This time, at several places, the crop was to be sown again due to flooding. When the harvesting had not begun, the Centre had started blaming Punjab for Delhi’s smoke. Being responsible as the CM of the state, I am praising the farmers now. For the smoke to reach Delhi, the wind should flow in a north-to-south direction. This happens rarely. Punjab cannot be blamed for the mess Delhi is in. Punjab is a land of Gurus. Our Gururs had told us to conserve our environment,” Mann said.
Responding to a question about the Centre renaming the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the chief minister said, “Changing names will not accomplish anything. It is the work that is important.”
“If you work, people erect statues at public squares; otherwise, statues are erected in fields,” Mann said days after former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s statue was erected in the field where he was cremated.
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“They changed the names of stations, they changed the names of cities, and now only changing the name of the country has been left. They may name it after Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay,” the chief minister said.
About the bomb threat emails received by schools in Amritsar and Jalandhar, the chief minister said similar incidents had occurred in Delhi. “Mischievous elements make fake calls. The police have been instructed to maintain security.”
About the farmers’ call to stop trains, Mann said they first stop the trains and then demand talks. “Strikes or protests that inconvenience the public will not be tolerated.”
He said the government finalised the preparations for the safety and convenience of the devotees attending the Shaheedi Sabha in Fatehgarh Sahib from December 25 to 27. “Nearly 50 lakh devotees are expected to attend the annual commemoration of the sacrifice of Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh.”
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During the three-day fair, 200 shuttle buses and 100 e-rickshaws will provide free services to the devotees. As many as 3,300 police personnel will be deployed for security. Six drones will constantly monitor for mischievous elements, while checkpoints will be set up at 72 locations.
