New Delhi, 4 December (H.S.): Opposition alliance leaders staged a protest at the Makar Dwar inside the Parliament complex on Thursday against Delhi’s worsening air pollution and hazardous air quality, demanding immediate government intervention to tackle what they termed a “public health emergency.”
The demonstration saw the participation of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, senior leaders K.C. Venugopal, Gaurav Gogoi, Ranjeet Ranjan, and several members of other allied parties.
Speaking to reporters during the protest, Sonia Gandhi said it was the government’s duty to take immediate action against the growing pollution menace. “This toxic air is affecting everyone — from elderly people like me to small children,” she remarked, visibly distressed.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said her mother suffers from asthma and that even healthy citizens are finding it difficult to breathe in the capital.
“Every year, the situation is getting worse. This is not a political issue — it’s about our right to clean air. Instead of playing blame games, all sections must act together,” she said.Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has remained in the ‘severe’ category this week, with thick smog engulfing several parts of the national capital region.
Environmental experts have termed the situation “life-threatening,” citing rising levels of particulate matter due to vehicular emissions, construction dust, and seasonal stubble burning in neighbouring states.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
