New Delhi : Reacting to senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s statement about breaking down to tears during the Babri Masjid demolition, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday accused her of selective concern, alleging that the Congress party has consistently pursued the politics of Muslim appeasement. Speaking to Media, Giriraj Singh said, “She rightly said that she shed tears when the Babri Masjid was demolished and when the Batla House encounter took place. But when there was violence during the Ram temple movement and kar sevaks were killed, she did not shed tears for them. Perhaps that is because the issue concerns Hindus. How committed has Sonia Gandhi ever been to India?” He further questioned Sonia Gandhi’s citizenship and alleged that she had stayed in India illegally for more than 12 years before acquiring citizenship.

“She was married and came to India; she was not minor. She was living in the country illegally for more than 12 years. What affection would she have for the country? I want to ask Sonia ji, you talk about vote theft. You were staying here by committing vote theft without taking citizenship, and you also cast votes,” he told Media. The remarks come as Sonia Gandhi has revisited the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 and the Emergency imposed by her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 in her forthcoming memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, scheduled for publication on November 10. In an interview, Sonia Gandhi recalled breaking down in tears while watching the Babri Masjid being demolished in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Giriraj Singh also criticised Samajwadi Party leader Sanatan Pandey over his remarks defending the firing on kar sevaks during the Ram temple movement under the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

“This is the same politics of Muslim appeasement that the Congress pursued through its vote-bank politics. Mulayam Singh Yadav played the same game, as did Lalu Yadav in Bihar. Akhilesh Yadav is playing the same game today,” he said. Separately, commenting on the controversy surrounding Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s Diwali greetings, Giriraj Singh accused him of echoing the views of Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi family. “Kharge is merely a mouthpiece of Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi family. He only says what is on Rahul Gandhi’s mind. Even on Diwali, Kharge did not extend greetings to Hindus and followers of Sanatan Dharma. Instead, he remembered Eid and its delicacies. When the Congress was in power, it had said that Muslims had the first right to the country’s resources. His remarks have exposed the Congress’s politics of appeasement, particularly Muslim appeasement,” he said.

New Delhi : The BJP and Shiv Sena on Monday criticised Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his description of Diwali as ‘Khushiyon ka Eid’ (Eid of Happiness) and accused the Congress of displaying anti-Hindu mindset and indulging in vote-bank politics. The leaders said that the Congress should be ashamed of making such remarks on an auspicious occasion like Diwali, alleging that instead of respecting Hindu sentiments, the party was attempting to appease a particular community for political gains. The controversy erupted following Kharge’s remarks to reporters over the weekend while extending Diwali greetings.

“I extend my best wishes to everyone for Diwali. Many people celebrate it as it is Khushiyon ka Eid,” the Congress president said. Kharge also appealed to people to maintain peace and national unity, urging those involved in disputes or harbouring misunderstandings to set aside their differences. “I urge those who may be in conflict or harbouring misunderstandings with one another to set these differences aside,” he said.

Speaking to Media, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said Kharge’s remarks exposed the Congress party’s anti-Hindu mindset. “Mallikarjun Kharge’s statement exposes the Congress party’s anti-Hindu mindset. The Congress should be ashamed that even on the auspicious occasion of Diwali, instead of respecting Hindu sentiments, it is engaging in vote-bank politics. Remember that just a few days ago, Sonia Gandhi said she was deeply pained and shed tears when the Babri Masjid was demolished. She also cried over the Batla House encounter involving terrorists. Now, the party’s president is describing Diwali as the ‘Eid of Happiness’. This makes it clear that the Congress party is engaged in appeasement and vote-bank politics 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” he said. BJP MLA Ram Kadam also questioned the Congress over the remark, alleging that the party was using religious references to appease voters.

“They pretend to wear the sacred thread. And when it is time for our Diwali celebrations, instead of extending Diwali greetings, they turn even this festival into an issue of religious appeasement. This is our question,” he said. Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande also criticised Kharge, accusing the Congress of making contradictory political statements in an attempt to appease different communities. “I feel sorry for their lack of understanding. They are so afraid and so desperate to appease Muslims that tomorrow they might even call Diwali Eid. They are so scared because they have lost their political ground. Neither Hindus nor Muslims are going to vote for them. In an attempt to please one community or the other, they try to appear secular at times and claim to stand for Hindutva at other times. They have become confused,” she said.

New Delhi : Delhi witnessed a sharp deterioration in air quality on Monday, a day after Diwali celebrations, with pollution levels reaching the ‘Severe’ category in several localities, according to monitoring data. A dense blanket of smog covered several parts of the national Capital in the morning hours, considerably reducing visibility. The situation was particularly noticeable around Inderlok and other residential areas. Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 376, placing it in the ‘Very Poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer application. However, several monitoring stations registered considerably higher pollution levels. Sonia Vihar topped the list with an AQI of 449, followed by Burari Crossing at 445 and Vivek Vihar at 441, as per a Pollution Dashboard.

Jahangirpuri recorded an AQI of 439, while Delhi University’s North Campus registered 437 and Rohini 435. Other locations reporting ‘Severe’ air quality included DTU (431), Bawana (424), Chandni Chowk and Patparganj (418 each), Mundka (413), NIH Narela and Punjabi Bagh (408 each), and the Commonwealth Sports Complex and ITO (404 each). The post-Diwali pollution situation has once again brought the effectiveness of measures to curb firecracker emissions into question. Despite restrictions and directions issued by the Supreme Court, firecrackers continued to be burst in several parts of Delhi beyond the permitted hours. The situation has also drawn attention to the functioning of agencies responsible for monitoring air quality. According to an NDTV report, pollution levels in several neighbourhoods had climbed significantly above prescribed limits on Diwali night.

R.K. Puram and Nehru Nagar, near Lajpat Nagar, were among the worst-affected locations until 9 p.m. The real-time monitoring system initially reflected a steep upward movement in pollution levels. However, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s (DPCC) website reportedly stopped displaying live readings from several monitoring stations for a few hours. The affected locations included R.K. Puram, Nehru Nagar, Mundka, Sonia Vihar and Dwarka, raising concerns over the availability of monitoring data during the peak pollution period. Separately, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra targeted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that a campaign was being run from the latter’s residence to malign the festival of Deepavali under the guise of concerns over pollution. Official figures also indicated that pollution levels in certain parts of Delhi exceeded the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended limits by more than 50 times after residents continued bursting firecrackers beyond the Supreme Court’s 10 p.m. deadline.