With detoriating air quality in the national capital region (NCR), Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday highlighted that how children and elderly are suffering due to air pollution and asked the Centre to take action to curb the issue.
She made the remarks when the opposition parties on Thursday staged a protest in Parliament over the air pollution issue in Parliament.
Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other top opposition leaders joined the protest.
Speaking to the media after the protest Sonia Gandhi said, “It is the responsibility of the Government to do something. Young children are suffering, and it is also difficult for elderly people like me.”
Even her daughter and party MP from Kerala’s Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also flagged the air pollution issue and alleged that no concrete action has been taken.
She said that the Opposition does not want to politicise the issue and will stand with the Centre when steps are taken to curb pollution.
“Which weather should we enjoy? Look at the situation outside. As Sonia (Gandhi) ji said, children are unable to breathe. She has asthma, and senior citizens like her are facing breathing difficulty. The situation keeps getting worse year after year.
“Only statements are made every year; no concrete action is taken. We have all said that the government has to take action, and we all stand with them. This is not a political issue that we would point fingers at each other,” the Congress General Secretary said.
Several MPs in the protest were seen wearing an oxygen mask and holding a banner to take a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which read “Mausam ka maza lijiye” (enjoy the weather).
The remark on the banner followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the start of the Winter Session of Parliament, in which he said ‘mausam ka maza lijiye’.
The opposition MPs raised slogans and demanded a parliamentary discussion on air pollution.
Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi also joined the protest outside the Parliament building.
On the fourth day, several Congress MPs Manickam Tagore, Manish Tewari and Vijayakumar alias Vijay Vasanth moved the notices to discuss the air quality in North India.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ranjit Ranjan raised the air pollution in Delhi-NCR during the zero hour.
Ranjan also urged the Centre to declare pollution a national health emergency.
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