There is a dirty fight going on between Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann over stubble burning. Ever since it came to power, Aam Aadmi Party has always blamed Punjab farmerโs stubble burning for Delhiโs pollution woos. With AAP coming in power in Punjab as well, they are being targeted for failing to rein in the problem.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on his part has found out a way to circumvent these allegations. To further politicize matter, Mann brought in last yearโs farmerโs agitation in Punjab. He said BJP was taking revenge against farmerโs of Punjab for launching a successful protest against the farms laws and forcing the government to withdraw them.
โPOLLUTION POLITICSโ is happening for the last several days which is unfortunate..BJP government at the center is defaming the farmers of Punjab instead of helping them..while the cities of Haryana-UP are in the list of polluted cities. Next..Is the central government taking revenge from the farmers of Punjab?,โ he tweeted.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that Mann was trying to instigate the farmers. โBhagwant Mann is instigating the farmers. Instead of levelling false allegations against the central government, he should chalk out a detailed strategy on stubble managementโ, Khattar was quoted as saying in an official statement.
Despite several promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab to bring down stubble burning, as per data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, farm fires from September 15 to October 31 have increased by 21% compared to the same period in 2021.
While Punjabโs stubble burning has increased, farm fires in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have gone down during the same period. Haryanaโs farm fire incidents are down by 32% compared to the same period last year while UPโs farm fires are down by 28%.
All these developments come in the backdrop of Delhi being engulfed in thick smog and recording severe Air Quality Index.
