Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bhardwaj on Wednesday demanded an apology from BJP leader and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa for his alleged remarks suggesting that Sikh farmers in Punjab were burning stubble to defame Diwali. Bhardwaj called the comments “shameful and divisive,” saying they insulted the Sikh community and misrepresented the real issue of pollution management. He also accused the government of allegedly manipulating data by allowing several air quality monitoring stations to become “non-operational” on Diwali night, when pollution levels in the capital reportedly spiked.
Condemning Sirsa’s alleged remarks, Bhardwaj said, “They need to apologise to the Sikh farmers of Punjab. It is very shameful to think that the farmers of Punjab, and that too Sikhs, are burning stubble to defame the Hindu festival, Diwali. They need to apologise to Sikhs of Punjab as the Gurus sacrificed their lives for Hindus.”
#WATCH | Delhi | On the statement of Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Delhi AAP President, Saurabh Bhardwaj says, “They need to apologise to the Sikh farmers of Punjab. It is very shameful to think that the farmers of Punjab and that too sikhs, are burning stubble to defame… pic.twitter.com/aZ3K4nVCCA
— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2025
Bhardwaj further claimed that such statements attempted to communalise an environmental issue and divert attention from the government’s failure to control pollution. He questioned how multiple pollution monitoring stations stopped functioning on the night when air quality deteriorated sharply across Delhi.
“How did the government’s pollution monitoring stations become non-operational as soon as pollution began to rise on Diwali night? Four monitoring stations were deployed, CPCB, IMD, DPCC, and IITM. A dozen monitoring stations from these four institutions stopped working at night and have been out of action since the wind picked up in the morning. This is theft and dishonesty. They are being dishonest with the people of Delhi,” Bhardwaj alleged.
#WATCH | Delhi AAP President, Saurabh Bhardwaj says, “…How did the government’s pollution monitoring stations become non-operational as soon as pollution began to rise on Diwali night? Four monitoring stations were deployed: CPCB, IMD, DPCC, and IITM. A dozen monitoring… pic.twitter.com/RyTi564x97
— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2025
The AAP leader claimed that the sudden failure of monitoring systems suggested a deliberate attempt to underplay pollution levels during the festive period. He urged the central government to take responsibility instead of targeting farmers, asserting that transparency in data monitoring was essential to rebuild public trust.
Delhi Minister Alleges ‘Parali Burning Ploy’ In Punjab
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that farmers in Punjab were being compelled and threatened to burn parali (paddy straw) during Diwali, claiming it was part of a deliberate “ploy” by the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state to worsen Delhi’s pollution.
Echoing earlier remarks by Gupta, Sirsa noted that the city’s air quality index had risen only marginally, from 341 before Diwali to 356 afterwards, an increase of just 11 points. He used this data to suggest that the stubble burning was being orchestrated to create the perception of a severe pollution spike.
