Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa denied any manipulation of air quality data and accused the Aam Aadmi Party of politicising this matter.
Sirsa said all air quality monitoring stations in Delhi were under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which submits reports to the Supreme Court, and challenged those making such claims to approach the court.
He said pollution levels usually rise after Diwali every year, citing a 40 per cent increase recorded in 2023. However, he attributed this year’s relatively lower pollution levels to favourable wind speeds and said the city has recorded the cleanest AQI in a decade under the BJP Govt.