New Delhi [India], November 10 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday hit out at the Delhi government and police for “preventing” citizens from protesting against increasing air pollution in the national capital.
Ramesh, General Secretary incharge of Communication in Congress, said that it is the duty of citizens to “protect and improve the natural environment” under Article 51-A (g) of the Indian Constitution.
“The iconic India Gate is on Kartavya Path – so named by the PM himself. The citizens of Delhi who are protesting for better air quality are only wanting to carry out their own Kartavya under Article 51-A (g) of the Constitution of India which mandates them ‘to protect and improve the natural environment’,” Ramesh posted on X.
The Rajya Sabha MP further questioned the Delhi police for shutting down the citizens’ protest over “atrocious air quality” in the national capital.
“So why are they being prevented by the Delhi Police to register their desperate concern at the atrocious air quality where they live and work? When the Govt is failing miserably in its Kartavya, the people have to fulfill theirs,” Ramesh said.
Delhi Police detained people protesting at India Gate on Sunday, demanding that the government formulate policies to curb air pollution in the National Capital region.
New Delhi district DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla said, “India Gate is not a protest site. The designated protest site in New Delhi is Jantar Mantar, as per the Supreme Court’s directions. That is why we have advised everyone to follow the guidelines. At India Gate, people come along with their families to enjoy, and it is a national monument. There are VIP routes here; we are deployed here regularly.”
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar on Monday alleged that the ruling BJP government got water sprinkled at AQI monitors to lower the readings.
Kakkar demanded that the government formulate policies to curb air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region as she joined the protests at India Gate.
Speaking to ANI, Priyanka Kakkar said, “The BJP got water to be sprinkled on AQI monitors to lower the readings. The BJP is manipulating the data. This lowers the BJP’s integrity and credibility. Even the BJP people should be here with us, but they are sitting at home with their air purifiers. The BJP needs to understand that the air and water are not a matter of politics.”
A resident of Delhi said that this is not a political issue.
A resident of Delhi, Neha, said, “We have only one issue, and that’s clean air. This problem has been going on for years, but no action is being taken. It’s a violation of our constitutional rights. We’ve been struggling with this for 10 years. No one cares about the health and rights of citizens. This is a violation of Article 21, our right to life. We don’t have clean air to breathe. I don’t understand what we’re waiting for, and why we’re not taking action. Peaceful protests are going on here, but people are being dragged and detained in buses. This is also a violation of Article 19. This isn’t a political matter. It’s about clean air.”
The air quality in the national capital has been shifting between the ‘severe’ and ‘very poor’ categories in most places. (ANI)