Environment minister has blamed the AAP-led Punjab government of turning the national capital into a gas chamber.

Environment minister Bhupender Yadav says that the BJP-run Haryana has seen a 30.6 percent drop in fires caused by stubble burning since July, but Punjab where the Congress is in power, has seen a 19% increase.

Union minister Bhupender Yadav shared a graphic illustrating how the AAP-led Punjab government is responsible for turning Delhi into a “gas chamber.” While farm fires increased by more than 19% in Punjab, stubble burning dropped by 30.6% in Haryana (where the BJP is in power).

“The Aam Aadmi Party should be ashamed of themselves and they should stop blaming other people for the AAP’s wretched condition,” Yadav. He added that Rs 492 crore was available, but the state government sat on it, forcing helpless farmers to burn their crop residues.

“Just today, Punjab saw 3,634 fires. There is no mistaking whose doing this.”

“Last year, ₹212 crore was left unspent. This year, the Central Govt gave Punjab ₹280 crore for crop residue management machines. So about ₹492 crore was available but the state govt chose to sit on it and let helpless farmers burn the remaining crop.

According to this article, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has reportedly been unable to provide relief to farmers in his own area.

The number of fires in Sangrur last year (Sept. 15th-Nov. 2nd) was 1,266 and the number this year is 3,025—a 139% increase.

Meanwhile, the convener of the Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal blames the central government for rising incidents of stubble-burning in Punjab, and says that it should “resign” if it cannot control air pollution.

He said that the Punjab government had prepared a plan to give farmers cash incentives so they don’t have to burn the stubble. He stated that the centre had rejected it citing last year’s protests against the three now-scrapped farm laws.

“It might sound harsh but this is the reality of what has happened. The Centre is refusing to help the farmers because they have been protesting against the three farm laws. And this is due to their deep-seated hatred for farmers. This reason is also behind all that smoke (from the farm fires) around,” says Kejriwal.

This means no politics over the issue of farm fires, and no FIRs against farmers for the burning of crop residue.

Delhi’s new environment minister, Gopal Rai, has been working with farmers who are forced to burn the stubble from their crops in neighboring Punjab. The BJP-led Centre did not support the plan to provide a cash incentive to these farmers for not burning the crop residue.

“Everybody is asking the same question, which is why has stubble burning not reduced despite AAP being in power? The Centre has denied support,” Rai said.

According to reports, stubble burning created 32% of Delhi’s pollution on Wednesday.

According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), 3,634 farm fires occurred in Punjab on Wednesday. This is the highest for this year so far. Yesterday, 1,842 farms were affected by fire.