"Ask Rekha Gupta": AAP On Lt Governor's Pollution Letter To Arvind Kejriwal

As Delhi struggles with air pollution, a fresh political battle erupted on Tuesday after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena sent a sharply worded letter to former Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP hit back, saying the Lieutenant Governor (LG) should "ask Rekha Gupta, not Kejriwal" about the worsening air crisis, accusing him of indulging in "letter politics." The BJP, meanwhile, demanded that Kejriwal personally respond to the administrative allegations raised by the LG, keeping the city's pollution debate in the political spotlight.

AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda criticised the LG for addressing a former Chief Minister instead of the current administration.

"It appears pollution has impacted not just the lungs of the people, but also the mind of the LG. He seems to have forgotten that Arvind Kejriwal is no longer the Chief Minister of Delhi and that today Rekha Gupta is the Chief Minister," Dhanda said.

"If he had any questions on pollution, he should have asked the current Chief Minister."

AAP spokesperson Ghanendra Bhardwaj echoed the criticism.

"Till Arvind Kejriwal was the Chief Minister, the only role played by LG VK Saxena was to obstruct government work on a daily basis," he said.

"Today, when the people of Delhi and the country are questioning the BJP's Delhi government and Rekha Gupta about what concrete steps they have taken in the last ten months to reduce pollution, the LG has chosen to remain silent."

Calling the 15-page letter "absurd," Bhardwaj said, "This letter should have been addressed to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta or to Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. This is nothing but hollow politics."

BJP Wants Arvind Kejriwal To Respond

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva criticised Kejriwal and his former colleagues for remaining silent.

"The people of Delhi are shocked by the silence not only of Arvind Kejriwal but also of any of his former ministers or senior leaders after the letter written by the Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena," Sachdeva said.

"The Lieutenant Governor's letter to Arvind Kejriwal levels serious administrative allegations against him. Kejriwal is trying to avoid responsibility for these allegations by pushing his junior spokespersons to the forefront. However, he will not be able to evade this; he will have to respond himself."

He posed a direct question to Kejriwal:

"Mr Kejriwal, do not divert the issue with irrelevant talks, tell us why you advised the Lieutenant Governor not to take the issue of pollution seriously?"

LG Saxena's Letter: Delhi's Pollution and Infrastructure Woes

In the letter, LG Saxena blamed the previous AAP government for "11 years of neglect and inaction" on pollution, road maintenance, drainage, water infrastructure, and public transport.

He alleged that projects like Metro Phase-IV, RRTS, and e-bus deployment were stalled for "petty political gains" and criticised the government for poor roads, overflowing sewers, and Yamuna pollution.

Saxena said he wrote the letter "despite not wanting to, so that the false public perception you have created about yourself is known to the people - who are the ultimate judges in our democracy."

The LG's letter also detailed alleged obstruction of green space development, delays in DDA housing and education projects, and lack of new hospitals and schools, saying these issues worsened Delhi's pollution and infrastructure challenges.

Key Points and Allegations from the Letter

Saxena accused Kejriwal of "double speak" and gross indifference on pollution, recalling a conversation:

"Sir, this happens every year. The media covers it for 15-20 days, activists and courts raise the issue, and then everyone forgets about it. You shouldn't pay too much attention to it either."

He alleged the 11-year AAP tenure caused Delhi's emergency pollution situation and claimed Kejriwal tried to bog down the new government for petty political gains.

Saxena also claimed Kejriwal systematically undermined political norms and evaded accountability.

Delhi Air Quality Worsens Amid Political Row

As of 9 pm Tuesday, Delhi's overall AQI remained in the very poor category at 398, teetering on the edge of the severe category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. The highest AQI was recorded in Nehru Nagar at 452, followed by Okhla Phase 2 at 439, and Mundka and Anand Vihar at 433. Other areas, including Ashok Vihar, Chandni Chowk, ITO, Punjabi Bagh, Vivek Vihar, Rohini, RK Puram, Patparganj, and Dwarka, also reported AQI levels above 400.

With Delhi choking under severe air quality and political parties trading blame, one question remains: Will the capital finally see effective action on pollution, or will Delhi's residents continue to bear the brunt of political point-scoring?