LG indulging in political distraction, theatrics over Delhi's air pollution: AAP

New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) The AAP accused Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday of indulging in "political distraction" and "theatrics" over the issue of air pollution, while hitting out at the BJP for using "letter politics" to divert attention from what it called the city government's failure to deal with the worsening environmental crisis.

Saxena has written to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of "gross indifference" and "criminal inaction" on the issue of air pollution, and holding his government responsible for the present crisis in the capital.

Reacting to the LG's letter to Kejriwal, the AAP said it is a deliberate attempt to shift focus from the current administration led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

The party alleged that while Delhi continues to face severe pollution, the LG chose to write to a former chief minister instead of questioning the present government, calling it a case of "letter nautanki" aimed at staying relevant in the media.

AAP's national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda said the LG appears disconnected from the gravity of Delhi's pollution situation and has failed to exercise his constitutional responsibility.

He said the BJP's "four-engine government" has failed to control pollution and the saffron party is now resorting to diversionary tactics.

Dhanda also asked why no accountability is being sought from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Delhi, despite frequent changes in pollution control measures, such as the imposition and lifting of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) restrictions.

The AAP further said the LG, who earlier used to question government initiatives on a daily basis, has now chosen to remain silent on the performance of the present dispensation.

It said the BJP government in Delhi is under scrutiny for its handling of pollution over the last 10 months, but instead of raising questions on current governance, the focus is being shifted to the past.

The Kejriwal-led party also reiterated its allegation that the LG himself had acted against environmental interests in the past, citing the felling of 1,648 trees in an eco-friendly zone near Chhatarpur -- an issue that is pending before the Supreme Court. The AAP said this undermines the LG's moral authority to raise questions on pollution and environmental protection.

The party appealed to the media and the public to see through what it termed political theatrics, asserting that the core issue remains the worsening pollution in Delhi and the failure of the BJP government in the capital to address it effectively. PTI SLB RC