Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Monday accused CM Atishi of giving irresponsible statements defending AAP’s Punjab government at a press conference here, on a day when the national capital suffering from severe pollution, wanted the dispensation governing the city to announce some drastic relief measures.

He alleged that Atishi falsely accused the centre in a bid to defend her party’s Punjab government, which he claimed is the biggest offender when it comes to stubble burning incidents.

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The BJP leader also stated that prior to defending her party’s government in the northern state, the Delhi CM should have at least checked the official IARI data on stubble burning which clearly shows that as on date Punjab is the biggest offender on stubble burning, as the state is yet to provide its farmers with the machinery to help them alternatively clear the crop residue from their fields.

Sachdeva claimed that Central Government have provided around 1.75 lacs stubble clearing machines to Punjab, which have gone missing, and asked Atishi to check with her counterpart in the other northern state as to why Punjab did not use Rs. 38.22 crores of NCAP funds received up to 2023-24. He said data on records states that on November 17, 404 stubble burning incidents were recorded in Punjab, while just 02 were recorded in Haryana, 65 in Rajasthan and 200 in UP.

The BJP leader claimed that on November 18 official data says 1251 stubble fires were recorded in Punjab, while Haryana had 36, Rajasthan- 152 , and UP registered 133 stubble burning incidents. He said, “CM Atishi should note that the total number of 1655 stubble burning incidents recorded in Punjab on November 17 and 18, is higher than the total number of stubble fire incidents recorded in Haryana, Rajasthan and UP during the same time.”