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Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday questioned why Delhi police had on Sunday detained people protesting against the atrocious air quality in the national capital.
“The right to clean air is a basic human right. The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by our Constitution. Why are citizens who have been peacefully demanding clean air being treated like criminals?” Rahul asked in a social media post.
He reposted environmentalist Vimlendu Jha’s statement on X that protesters were “taken away” and “shoved in a bus.”
“Air pollution is affecting crores of Indians, harming our children and the future of our nation. But the government which came to power through vote chori simply doesn’t care, nor is it even attempting to solve this crisis,” Rahul wrote.
“We need to take decisive action on air pollution right now instead of attacking citizens asking for clean air.”
The organisers of the protest at India Gate on Sunday alleged that they were repeatedly pressured by police officials to cancel the demonstration and several protesters were detained.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh pointed out that the iconic India Gate is on Kartavya Path, so named by the prime minister 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...."
"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 wrote.
Delhi woke up Monday morning to a familiar sight, the city’s skyline swallowed in grey.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality remained in the “very poor” category, with Delhi’s AQI at 345 at 9 am.
Visuals from across the city showed a thick layer of haze reducing visibility in several areas.
The deterioration had begun on Sunday morning, when Delhi recorded this season’s worst AQI of 391 before a slight improvement. By 4 pm, the AQI stood at 370- in the “red zone,” CPCB data showed.
Scores of people, including children, staged a protest near India Gate on Sunday, holding placards like "Smog se Azadi!" and "Breathing is killing me" as Delhi's air quality index (AQI) touched 370 in the "very poor" category.
Police detained several participants for assembling without official permission.
A police officer said there was no permission to hold a protest at India Gate and that “to maintain law and order and ensure there is no obstruction in security arrangements, some people were detained.” DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla said the detentions were preventive.
“Only Jantar Mantar is designated as a protest site where permission can be sought by following due procedure,” Mahla was quoted as saying.
Protesters insisted they had no intention to disrupt but wanted urgent intervention.
Environmentalist Bhavreen Khandari, who joined the demonstration, told PTI, “We want to meet our elected officials. We had sought an appointment with the chief minister but were refused. So many parents are here because their children are suffering.” She added, “Every third child already has damaged lungs; they will live nearly 10 years less than those growing up in cleaner air.”
Another Delhi resident was seen voicing frustration to reporters: “The AQI is touching heights... We are being evacuated and not allowed to protest peacefully here... Common people are dying. Yet the government is not designing any policies and hiding the data. They are sprinkling water at the data centres... Even the cloud seeding didn’t work. That is, anyway, not a solution. We want a permanent solution... Even the public is fast asleep. Many people are here to watch the show, but they are not raising their voices in protests...”
On social media,one user wrote, “To all my foreign friends here, please don’t come to Delhi. You have the luxury of breathing fresh air in your country. Enjoy it. Don’t take it for granted.”
