A poster war erupted between the BJP and AAP on Monday amid a severe air pollution crisis in Delhi, which saw the city's air quality index (AQI) soar to hazardous levels. At 8 am, Delhi's AQI reached 484, escalating to 490 by 1 pm and 493 by 3 pm, with several areas, including Dwarka, Najafgarh, and Mundka, recording the maximum AQI level of 500, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The BJP, in an attempt to target Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, shared a poster with an image of Kejriwal wearing a mask and stated, "Kejriwal's London is facing a breathing emergency." In retaliation, AAP released its own posters. One featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing a mask with the caption, "Modi's poisonous reign over all of north India." Another poster accused PM Modi of being in "flight mode," highlighting his ongoing five-day foreign trip to Nigeria, Brazil, and Guyana. AAP claimed, "PM Modi, hiding from failures, fled abroad in flight mode," referring to the air pollution crisis.
This back-and-forth between the two parties unfolded as Delhi’s air quality reached the season’s worst levels. The controversy also coincided with a Supreme Court hearing, during which the Court reprimanded both the Centre and the Delhi government for delaying the invocation of pollution control measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The Court questioned the delay in triggering Stage 4 of the plan when the AQI had already crossed the 300 mark, emphasizing the need for immediate action.
