No stubble burning now, why air pollution crisis in Delhi: Mann takes dig at BJP
Chandigarh (PTI): Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday slammed the BJP saying its leaders used to "defame" Punjab farmers over stubble burning and blame them for Delhi's poor air quality and questioned why is there pollution crisis in national capital despite no farm fires now.
Mann said that as soon as paddy harvest takes place, BJP leaders blame Punjab and its farmers for Delhi's poor air quality.
He said they used to claim that stubble burning by Punjab farmers causes Delhi's pollution.
Mann said at present, the Air Quality Index in major Punjab cities is between 70 and 130.
"At present, Delhi's AQI is between 450 and 500 and no smoke is coming from Punjab. But the situation in Delhi is worse. At least now they should agree that there is no role of Punjab for Delhi's poor air quality," Mann said in a video message.
Mann's remarks came on a day Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa apologised for the air pollution crisis in the national capital and acknowledged its impact on children's health.
Sirsa, however, asserted that it was the result of the policies pursued by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi.
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Last month, the BJP had trashed the Punjab CM's previous claim that stubble burning in the state has no role in the high levels of air pollution in Delhi as "ridiculous".
Dismissing Mann's claim, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva had last month said it is certain that stubble burning is a "major" factor (for the air pollution in Delhi).
Meanwhile, Mann in his video message said, due to severe floods which Punjab witnessed this year, paddy harvesting got delayed, "despite this, many Delhi ministers had already started blaming Punjab".
"I want to praise Punjab farmers, NGOs and efforts of the Punjab government have also paid off in controlling stubble burning this time. The cases of stubble burning in Punjab have reduced by 70-80 per cent and this has been acknowledged by the Central Government and the Union Agriculture Minister," Mann said.
The CM further said that after paddy harvest even the wheat crop has been sown and now, there is no incident of stubble burning.
He said BJP leaders used to claim that Punjab's smoke from stubble travels to Delhi.
"Now, there is no stubble burning, but Delhi is facing very poor air quality. This proves that earlier too Punjab's smoke had no role for Delhi's poor air quality. Only accusations were made by the BJP to defame Punjab. At least now the Centre should praise the farmers of Punjab," he said.
"Meanwhile, Delhi's AQI is between 450 and 500, flights are being cancelled, and breathing has become difficult," said Mann.
He asked both the BJP government in Delhi and the BJP led Centre to address Delhi's air pollution, saying citizens cannot even venture out for a walk due to air pollution.
He also asked the BJP that Punjab should not be dragged into this political battle, instead, Punjab's farmers should be appreciated, and the Delhi and Central governments should focus on addressing Delhi's air pollution.
Mann further said that farmers of Punjab are 'anndatas' (food providers) and they meet the country's food needs, they should not be defamed.
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''NDA''s betrayal includes strangling MSMEs'' amid West Asia crisis, alleges Stalin at poll rally
Erode (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): DMK President, Chief Minister M K Stalin, on Thursday, alleged that the NDA's betrayals include 'strangling' the MSMEs during the ongoing West Asia crisis.
Addressing an election rally here, Stalin alleged AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami had no achievements to claim for his government during 2017-21; neither does PM Modi, who comes on "election tours" to Tamil Nadu.
Ridiculing the slow pace of work to build Madurai AIIMS, as that project was announced by the Centre about a decade ago, the CM said: "If they think they can claim an achievement, let them look at the Madurai AIIMS, being built brick by brick, one brick after the other. That is an achievement." Other than the "achievement" of building AIIMS for about 10 years, they had nothing to boast about at all, he sarcastically said.
"We have a list of their betrayals (of NDA). Shall I list them?" Stalin asked, and alleged that the denial to scrap NEET and declining of new Metro rail projects were betrayals. "Abolishing" MGNREGA, amending the Citizenship Act, and the enactment of 3-farm laws --which were later scrapped-- were also "betrayals," he said.
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He also listed other alleged "betrayals" of "failure to protect weavers" from US tariffs and crippling micro, small, and medium enterprises due to the West Asian war.
The Dravidian party chief, however, did not elaborate on either the weavers vis-à-vis the US tariff issue or the matter involving MSMEs.
Furthermore, the DMK chief slammed the "betrayal" of withholding education funds due to children in order to impose Hindi, not providing GST compensation and snatching away state rights.
Hence, Palaniswami and his party's ally BJP, are the very embodiment of "betrayals" and the NDA allies "stand in the dock" before the people of Tamil Nadu, having committed "betrayal after betrayal," Stalin claimed.
Hitting out at AIADMK chief for targeting the DMK regime over women's safety, at his Sivaganga rally on April 1, 2026, Stalin listed a slew of ongoing welfare schemes for the benefit of women, including fare-free bus and Rights payout of Rs 1,000 per month.
He said that law and order maintenance was good in Tamil Nadu, and women go for work boldly as they are safe, while industries troop to Tamil Nadu with investment. The efficiency of a government is measured by how swiftly action is taken, and criminals are punished when a crime occurs. From that perspective, it is under the Dravidian model government that charge sheets have been filed within 60 days in over 86 per cent of cases, the chief minister asserted.
The CM said: "This growth of Tamil Nadu irritates Palaniswami, the branch secretary of the BJP. Out of jealousy, he is spreading lies and rumours as the DMK does not allow him to win even one election."
He asked if Palaniswami had any locus standi to speak about women's safety and listed crimes against women reported during the AIADMK regime, including the sensational Pollachi sexual assault case and the sufferings of the victims.
"Did that outcry of Pollachi victims not shake Palaniswami's conscience? What kind of dramas did Palaniswami stage in the Pollachi case? First, he delayed filing the case... then, they let the accused escape. They publicly revealed the names of the victimised women and issued threats. However, it is the Dravidian model of governance that handled that case properly, secured life sentences for the criminals, and obtained a compensation of Rs 85 lakh for the victims," Stalin said.
The CM also listed cases, including one in which a woman police SP was the victim at the hands of a higher police official and the manner in which the conviction was secured. In fact, the CM said there was a long history of crimes against women during successive AIADMK regimes and the mega list includes the burning of three girl students in a bus in Dharmapuri and the acid attack on a woman IAS officer. It was the DMK regime that enacted laws/ amendments to ensure upto death penalty for crimes against women.
"Women's safety was a question mark under Palaniswami's rule. It is the Dravidian model government that protects women, enables them to go to colleges and workplaces with dignity, and stands as a true friend. Thinking that all these facts can be hidden by spreading fake news and slander, Palaniswami is now wandering in a fantasy castle, dreaming of bringing the BJP's NDA government to TN and plundering the state," the DMK chief alleged.
"While the DMK-led alliance was firmly bonded by ideology, the NDA was not so," Stalin said. He also alleged that in 2016, Amit Shah had termed the AIADMK cabinet as full of corrupt leaders.
The same corrupt group now stands with Amit Shah, the CM alleged.
Beginning with Palaniswami, who allegedly awarded tenders to a relative --Sambandhi-- about a dozen AIADMK ministers were involved in alleged scams like illegal sale of gutka and irregularities in award of tenders for local bodies, Stalin claimed.
Without directly naming NDA partners, AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran (for an alleged bribe several years ago to influence the Election Commission) and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss (alleged irregularities involving medical college admissions), Stalin said such people, "who should be in the dock, have come together to deceive the people". He ridiculed NDA's double engine mantra, termed it as 'dabba engine' and asserted that NDA will be routed in the Assembly polls.
