The severe air pollution crisis in Delhi has ignited a fresh and bitter political confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The conflict escalated on Sunday, December 22, 2025, after the AAP released a satirical music video targeting the ruling dispensation over its handling of the toxic smog enveloping the capital.
A Satirical Strike on Pollution
The AAP's video, set to the tune of Kishore Kumar's classic Bollywood song 'Pyaar humein kis mod pe le aaya', features performers dressed as popular superheroes and a festive figure. Characters portraying Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and even Santa Claus are seen dancing while wearing protective masks. The re-lyricised song, titled 'Fraud tumhe kis mod pe le aaya', accuses the government of data manipulation and inaction.
AAP's Delhi president, Saurabh Bharadwaj, explained the video's intent. He stated that the clip was designed to show that "even Superman, Spiderman and Batman have fallen ill due to pollution." Bharadwaj questioned how the capital could be choking under what he referred to as the "four-engine government"—a pointed reference to the Lieutenant Governor, the BJP-ruled central government, the city government, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
BJP's Sharp Retort: "Mocking a Health Crisis"
The BJP reacted swiftly and harshly to the AAP's creative criticism. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva dismissed the video as a frivolous move and accused the AAP of trivializing a grave public health emergency. In a strong statement, Sachdeva claimed that Delhi's residents were condemning Saurabh Bharadwaj for "indulging in sarcasm and mockery on a serious issue like pollution."
Shifting the blame squarely onto the AAP, Sachdeva asserted that the current pollution woes were a direct result of the "negligence" of the previous Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi and the AAP-led government in Punjab. He alleged that no substantive work on pollution control was undertaken during the AAP's decade-long tenure in the capital, including the period when Bharadwaj served as the Health Minister.
Accusations Fly Over Causes and Solutions
Beyond the video, Saurabh Bharadwaj levelled specific allegations against the current administration. He claimed that medicines were unavailable in government hospitals, forcing people to buy oxygen cylinders and medicines from private sources. He also flagged ongoing construction activities, citing the example of roads being dug up in the area of BJP minister Kapil Mishra, and questioned whether such actions would help curb pollution.
The BJP's counter-narrative firmly places the responsibility for the perennial crisis on the AAP's past policies and governance failures in Delhi and Punjab, which they say contributed significantly to the stubble burning problem.
This war of words highlights how Delhi's toxic air has transformed from an environmental and public health disaster into a potent political flashpoint. With both parties entrenched in their positions, the debate has become less about immediate solutions for the suffocating city and more about a fierce blame game ahead of future political contests.
