Delhi Chief Minister Atishi blamed the BJP led central government for not taking steps to check stubble burning, one of the factors that contribute to air pollution in the national capital.

Notably, the air quality in Delhi has been going down since October end and has been worsening since then, with the same attributed to multiple factors such as firecrackers and stubble burning – most common in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister asked whether the Centre can tell a single step it has taken to prevent stubble burning from happening. She also pointed out that stubble burning has been increasing over the last 6-7 years.

She further asked that if the Punjab government, led by her party AAP, can reduce stubble burning by 80 per cent, then why are the cases increasing in other states. She continued why has the entire North India been pushed into a state of medical emergency? 

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi government about steps taken to curb rising pollution level in the national capital. The apex court also questioned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government over the delay in implementation of Stage 4 of GRAP in the city despite the alarming rise in pollution.

The air quality in the national capital plunged to severe plus for the first time this season, forcing the government to implement Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) – an anti-pollution plan. As per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data, Delhi’s air quality Index (AQI) was 481 this morning. Among the 35 monitoring stations in the national capital, most recorded over 400 AQI, with Dwarka reporting the highest at 499.

The top court also told the Delhi government to not relax the GRAP-4 anti-pollution curbs without the court’s order. Under the aegis GRAP-4, a ban has been imposed on Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles. Furthermore, all trucks and light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will not be allowed to enter the national capital, except for those carrying essential commodities or providing essential services

All private and government schools have been shifted online, except for Classes 10 and 12. Public and private offices have also been asked to work at 50 per cent capacity and the rest have been recommended to work from home.

In addition, the state government may also consider additional emergency measures such as the closure of non-emergency commercial activities, and permitting the running of vehicles on an odd-even basis of registration numbers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised the film ‘The Sabarmati Report’, based on 2002 Godhra train incident, saying the truth is coming to out.

He expressed his thoughts on social media platform X, saying, “Well said. It is good that this truth is emerging, especially in a manner accessible to the general public. A deceptive narrative can only last for so long. Ultimately, the facts will prevail!”

The Prime Minister’s remarks came in response to an X user who had shared a video of the film’s trailer, which was released on Friday.

‘The Sabarmati Report’ focuses on the tragic incident involving the burning of the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express near Godhra station in Gujarat on February 27, 2002, resulting in the deaths of 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya. This event ignited widespread riots in Gujarat that year.

Directed by Dheeraj Sarna, the film is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa R Kapoor, Amul V Mohan, and Anshul Mohan, and features actors Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna, and Ridhi Dogra.

In response to PM Modi’s commendation, producer Ekta Kapoor expressed her gratitude, highlighting that his praise provided a significant morale boost for the film’s team. Resharing the Prime Minister’s post, she wrote in Hindi on X: “Respected Prime Minister, thank you very much for your encouraging words about #TheSabarmatiReport. They have invigorated our spirits. Your recognition of #TheSabarmatiReport confirms that we are on the right path. Thank you for your love and support.”

This is not the first instance of PM Modi praising a film. In 2022, he lauded Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’. He stated, “History must be conveyed in the correct context. Books, poetry, literature, and films all play a crucial role in this. You’ve likely heard the discussions surrounding ‘The Kashmir Files’; it has certainly ruffled the feathers of those who champion freedom of expression.” The film depicts the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley and features Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumar, among others.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the latter compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to outgoing US President Joe Biden over memory loss, saying Gandhi should not be taken seriously.

The senior BJP leader expressed confidence that the people of Maharashtra would support the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the upcoming state Assembly elections on November 20.

“The way Rahul Gandhi speaks, nobody takes him seriously. I think people should not take his remarks seriously,” Gadkari said while speaking to PTI.

Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, on Saturday took a swipe at the Prime Minister, saying Modi is suffering from memory loss like the outgoing United States president.

During an election rally in Maharashtra’s Amravati on Saturday, Gandhi said: “My sister was telling me that she listened to PM Modi’s speech. She said that these days Modi ji is essentially repeating whatever we say. Perhaps he has suffered memory loss. Like the former President of America. He used to forget things and had to be reminded from behind about what to say, and what not to.”

The Rae Bareli MP commented on the incident where Biden mistakenly called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “President Putin” during the NATO summit held in Washington in July.

Gadkari, responding to Gandhi’s allegations about PM Modi suffering from memory loss like Biden, hit out at the Congress leader for speaking irresponsibly.

On Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s dissent regarding Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s ‘batenge toh katenge’ remark, which suggested increasing tensions within the Mahayuti alliance, Gadkari downplayed the issue, stating, “First of all, we are different parties, and it is not necessary that we share the same opinion.”

He elaborated that “the media also distorts what is said. This creates misconceptions. The call for unity was to unite against terrorism and Naxalism”.

On being asked about the challenges confronting the Mahayuti alliance following its less-than-stellar performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Gadkari attributed the results to the confusion propagated by the Opposition. “A narrative was created that if we win 400-plus seats, we will amend the Constitution drafted by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.”

Gadkari strongly denied these assertions, saying, “There is no question of changing the Constitution. We will neither do it, nor allow others to do it. Now people have realised that the campaign by the opposition during the Lok Sabha polls was based on lies, and they have decided to support with positivity the Mahayuti in Maharashtra under PM Modi’s leadership.”