CHANDIGARH, November 9: AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Sunday hit out at the BJP for blaming Punjab’s farmers for Delhi’s pollution, claiming that the state had achieved nearly 90 per cent control over stubble burning this year.
Pannu said BJP leaders had started raising the issue of smoke from Punjab even before the paddy harvesting season began. He accused the party of making baseless allegations instead of taking responsibility for the pollution situation in Delhi.
Reacting to BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s claim that 1,200 people had burnt stubble overnight, Pannu challenged him to establish the claim and questioned why BJP leaders were repeatedly targeting Punjab.
He said Punjab had recorded an 80 per cent reduction in stubble burning last year and achieved nearly 90 per cent control this year. He added that the figures were supported by the Central Government’s reply in Parliament.
The AAP leader alleged that the BJP was trying to shift attention from the pollution crisis in Delhi by blaming Punjab’s farmers. He said the party should explain its own failure to manage the situation rather than maligning the farming community.
Pannu also reminded the BJP of the farmers who lost their lives during the protest against the three farm laws, putting the number at nearly 750. He said the party had still not answered questions concerning their deaths.
He maintained that Punjab’s farmers should not be made scapegoats for Delhi’s pollution and urged BJP leaders to focus on finding solutions instead of making political allegations.
