Chandigarh: Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday hit out at the BJP, rejecting Delhi minister Kapil Mishra’s allegations linking Delhi’s pollution to stubble burning in Punjab and accusing the BJP of attempting to defame the state’s farmers.Responding to a question, Cheema dismissed Mishra’s claims as baseless and questioned why Punjab was being singled out for Delhi’s worsening air pollution when Haryana and Uttar Pradesh also cultivate paddy.“I reject Kapil Mishra’s charge. He is telling lies. I want to ask them whose govts are in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Does the smoke from Haryana travel to Pakistan while the smoke from Punjab reaches Delhi? Is there some special route stretching over 300 km between Punjab and Delhi? Don’t Haryana and UP cultivate paddy? Is Punjab the only paddy-producing state? This is an attempt to defame Punjab’s farmers,” Cheema said.Mishra had claimed that 1,200 people had burnt stubble in Punjab overnight, suggesting that smoke from the state was contributing to Delhi’s deteriorating air quality. His remarks triggered a political controversy, with the AAP questioning the basis of his allegations.
