The BJP on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, accusing him of prioritising the "political interests" of the Punjab government over the pollution related health concerns of Delhi residents. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, in a social media post,  asked Rai to either demand accountability from the Punjab government on stubble burning or resign.  Sachdeva claimed that Punjab continued to be the largest contributor to stubble burning in north India. "Instead of thinking about the health interests of the people of Delhi, Gopal Rai thinks about protecting the political interests of the Punjab government, and now the time has come that he should either demand action against the Punjab government or resign," he said. Citing data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the BJP leader said Punjab recorded 1,581 stubble-burning incidents this year alone, more than the combined total of Haryana (665) and Uttar Pradesh (740). Sachdeva highlighted how the Supreme Court recently reprimanded the Punjab government for shielding farmers involved in stubble burning by providing exemptions from fines. He further claimed that the situation has worsened since the AAP took power in Punjab, accusing the party of providing cover to corrupt farmers engaging in large-scale stubble burning. According to the IARI, last year saw around 9,000 stubble burning incidents in Punjab, compared to less than 1,000 in Haryana, he said, adding that in 2022, 15.43 lakh hectares of fields were burnt in Punjab, a figure that rose to 19 lakh hectares in 2023 under AAPs governance. Stubble burning continues to be a significant factor contributing to the severe air pollution crisis in Delhi during the winter months, raising concerns about the health and safety of the regions residents. The slugfest over Delhis pollution levels between the ruling AAP and opposition BJP has continued as air quality worsened further in the national capital. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday wrote letters to the transport ministers of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, urging them to ensure no diesel buses from their states came to the national capital in view of anti-pollution restrictions in place.

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