Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hit back at detractors mocking her mispronunciation of “AQI” (Air Quality Index) during the Winter Session of the Delhi Assembly. Speaking on the ‘Motion of Thanks’ to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s address, Gupta said, “Sometimes they disrespect me, sometimes they make cheap comments.” She attributed the attacks to resentment against a woman leader working tirelessly for the city.
“Anyone can make mistakes while speaking or mispronounce certain words. I made a mistake, but some people do things deliberately,” Gupta stated. Posting a video of her speech on social media, she added: “I’ve been working non-stop for Delhi, day in, day out. And that’s what gets to them. They can’t stand it.”
Gupta contrasted her BJP government’s 11-month record with the Aam Aadmi Party’s “11 years of mismanagement and corruption.” Key achievements include:
Healthcare: Ayushman Bharat rollout, Vandana Yojana, hospital digitisation, Jan Aushadhi Kendras expansion.
Women’s Welfare: Palna centres for working mothers.
Education: Reforms curbing arbitrary private school practices.
Infrastructure: Legal metering for electricity, water billing amnesty schemes, hospital project cost rationalisation.
The CM emphasised focus on health, education, transport, and infrastructure, accusing the previous regime of poor planning. AQI, measuring pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, ozone, NO2, SO2, CO, NH3, and lead, categorises air from Good (0-50) to Hazardous (401+). Recent data shows Uttar Pradesh cities like Ghaziabad (422), Greater Noida (420), and Noida (409) topping pollution charts.
