A BJP leader, Vineet Agarwal Sharda, has suggested that Pakistan or China could be responsible for the toxic smog covering Delhi and the surrounding region, claiming that one of them might have released poisonous gas into India.

The claim

Speaking in Hindi, Sharda said it was possible that the poisonous air had been sent by a neighbouring country that was afraid of India, and named Pakistan and China as the countries he believed feared India.

He alleged that Pakistan had grown frustrated after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister and Amit Shah Home Minister, and that, having failed to win any battle, it was turning to such methods.

Sharda also attacked Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s Chief Minister, for attributing the capital’s pollution to stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. Farmers, he said, form the backbone of the nation and ought not to be blamed.

Air quality

After several days of thick haze, Delhi’s air improved on Tuesday from the ‘severe’ to the ‘very poor’ category. According to India Meteorological Department scientists, stronger winds on Monday had helped clear pollutants. Winds of up to 20 kilometres per hour dispersed the pollution more quickly, and visibility improved to 2,000 metres.

See also: Bharatiya Janata Party.

Originally published on 6 November 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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