Delhi AQI row: AAP alleges data fraud, BJP fires back over Punjab stubble ‘conspiracy’

When asked about air quality data in Delhi missing in several monitoring stations, Kapil Mishra said that the government will look into the issue within an hour and inform the media about it

Updated - November 09, 2026 05:45 pm IST

People walk near India Gate, shrouded in thick smog during early morning hours after Deepavali night in New Delhi on November 9, 2026. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

BJP leader and Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra on Monday (November 9, 2026) alleged that there was a “conspiracy” in AAP-governed Punjab to set stubble on fire in Punjab on Sunday (November 8, 2026) evening, as per official data.

Also Read: At peak of air pollution on Deepavali night, data goes missing at several govt monitoring stations in Delhi

He alleged that 1,200 stubble burning incidents happened in Punjab on Sunday (November 8, 2026) evening, which was 10 times that of previous days. “We got calls from farmers in Punjab that stubble is being set on fire. Someone is coming and setting stubble on fire and running away, when farmers are celebrating Diwali with their families. This is a very serious issue and a conspiracy against Delhi, Punjab, and farmers,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Delhi over alleged air quality data “manipulation” by shutting down of air quality monitoring stations.

“The government which shuts down air quality monitoring stations on the night of Diwali, the government that does data fraud, how will you trust such a government?” asked AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj in a video posted on X.

“The government is doing the fraud openly. We had written to the CAQM and CPCB (about the data manipulation). But everyone is silent. This is because everyone is part of this fraud,” Mr. Bharadwaj said.

Also Read: Delhi AQI: What is PM2.5 and the row over air pollution data post Deepavali?

Last week, the AAP had accused the BJP government of “manipulating” AQI data by spraying water on monitoring stations, and alleged that“fudging” AQI data was not just corruption but life-threatening. The party also wrote to CAQM and CPCB last week, alleging that the Delhi government was manipulating air quality data in the national capital.

Data missing in several monitoring stations

When asked about air quality data in Delhi missing in several monitoring stations, Mr. Mishra said that the government will look into the issue within an hour and inform the media about it.

At the peak of pollution following the bursting of firecrackers on Sunday (November 8, 2026) night, data from several monitoring stations operated by the Delhi Government’s Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) were unavailable for hours. This raises the possibility that the actual spike in pollution could have been higher.

Reading from 11:00 a.m. on November 9, 2026, from website of Department of Environment, Government of NCT of Delhi, showing several stations not reporting AQI data.

On Deepavali night, PM2.5 levels in parts of the city soared to 66 times the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended 24-hour guideline, before gradually declining in the early hours of Monday (November 9, 2026), according to official data.

Published - November 09, 2026 10:30 am IST

air pollution / Delhi / government / Bharatiya Janata Party / Aam Aadmi Party / Deepavali

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