Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Jeered with AQI Chants at Messi Event

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta experienced an embarrassing moment at the Arun Jaitley Stadium during an event featuring football icon Lionel Messi. As the Chief Minister approached the podium, sections of the crowd repeatedly chanted "AQI, AQI", a stark protest against Delhi's deteriorating air quality.

This public display of frustration occurred as the National Capital Region grappled with a thick blanket of smog, with AQI levels breaching the 500 mark in some monitoring stations earlier in the day.

The incident underscored growing public concern over pollution, which has also led to significant disruptions, including the closure of primary schools and hybrid learning arrangements for other classes up to Class 12. Concurrently, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav chaired a high-level review of pollution control measures in Ghaziabad and Noida, directing strict action against industrial units that fail to install online emission monitoring systems by the December 31st deadline.