"BJP govt creating smokescreen with Privilege Committee theatrics to hide failures on pollution": AAP

New Delhi [India], November 21 (ANI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was "politicising" the Committee of Privileges of the 8th Delhi Legislative Assembly by convening a series special sittings and issuing issuing notices to former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, former Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and former Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla in the so-called 'Faansi Ghar' matter, party said in a statement.
The AAP said the BJP government is weaponising legislative committees to divert attention from Delhi's deepening environmental crisis and collapsing public services, AAP said in a press release.
In a statement, the AAP questioned the very basis of the Privilege Committee's proceedings.
"The incident cited by the Privilege Committee occurred in August 2022 during the life of the 7th Legislative Assembly," the party said, adding, "That Assembly was dissolved in February 2025. Once an Assembly is dissolved, its privileges and proceedings lapse. The 8th Legislative Assembly cannot initiate or continue privileged action on matters belonging to a previous term," the party said.
The AAP cited the Supreme Court's judgment in Amarinder Singh v. Punjab Vidhan Sabha (2010) and said the Privilege Committee's actions are "legally unsustainable, procedurally untenable and driven solely by political motives".
AAP said it is shocking that the BJP government held a special sitting of the Privilege Committee while ignoring Delhi's escalating pollution crisis. "Doctors are now publicly advising families to leave Delhi if they have young children or elderly members," the party said.
It added, "Former AIIMS Director has cautioned that the toxic smog engulfing Delhi is now causing more deaths than COVID-19 did, with fine particulate matter increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, dementia and infertility. Children's lungs are the most vulnerable. Yet the BJP government is doing nothing except suppressing data and managing headlines."
The party said Delhi's air quality index (AQI) has remained over 400 for days, a level categorised as very poor to severe. "While citizens are struggling to breathe and hospitals are reporting a spike in respiratory illnesses, the BJP government is busy weaponising the Committee of Privileges," AAP said.
It added that the sudden "reappearance" of toxic chemical foam on the Yamuna immediately after Chhath and the Bihar elections "exposes the BJP's governance model of optics over action and data manipulation over real environmental work".
The party said essential services are "deteriorating" under the BJP government.
"Mohalla Clinics are being shut down even as pollution-related illnesses and seasonal flu cases rise. Several parts of Delhi are experiencing water shortages. A recent blast near the Red Fort has exposed glaring law and order lapses and complete intelligence failure," AAP stated. It said the BJP government is "obsessed with the Privilege Committee while Delhi faces a full-scale environmental, healthcare and governance breakdown."
AAP stressed that the Committee of Privileges should safeguard institutional dignity, not serve as a political tool. (ANI)