The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the BJP-led Delhi government of manipulating air quality data, with party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj claiming that the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed 3,000 in several parts of the national capital on Diwali night.Citing readings from multiple independent air quality monitoring platforms, Bhardwaj alleged that the government's official figures did not reflect the actual pollution levels and accused it of misleading residents."AQI 3000 paar. Full credit to these brothers who raised pollution beyond 3000," Bhardwaj wrote on X.In two videos shared on X, Bhardwaj questioned the government's pollution monitoring and claimed that AQI readings at several locations were significantly higher than those being officially reported.

He also alleged that around 20 new AQI monitoring stations had been installed in distant, relatively green areas of Delhi, while water was being sprayed around existing monitoring stations in more polluted locations to bring down readings. Govt is doing AQI Data Fraud.

When Pollution data is shown less than actual data, it can lead to very serious situations - heart attacks, asthma attacks, respiratory failure , and even worse. https://t.co/eYuuhcFy1F— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) November 9, 2026 Bhardwaj accused the government of manipulating pollution data instead of acknowledging the severity of the situation. He also questioned the credibility of the official AQI figures and raised concerns over the health risks posed by deteriorating air quality, particularly for children, elderly people and those with respiratory ailments.AQI 3000 paar.

Full credit to these brothers who raised pollution beyond 3000. https://t.co/iN7EeEaSrd— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) November 8, 2026WHAT CPCB DATA SHOWSThe readings cited by Bhardwaj are from independent AQI monitoring platforms and do not correspond to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) official data. While these platforms provide additional readings of air quality, the figures cited in the videos have not been independently verified by India Today.

India Today relies on CPCB data for its air quality reporting. According to CPCB figures, Delhi's average AQI on Diwali, November 8, stood at 376, placing the city in the 'very poor' category.The situation was nevertheless alarming.

Of Delhi's 59 air quality monitoring stations, 19 were in the 'severe' category at 7 pm on Sunday, while 33 were in the 'very poor' category and seven in the 'poor' category. Jahangirpuri recorded the highest reading at 460.Separately, AQI.in data showed that Delhi's AQI peaked at 1,331 at 1.31 am on November 9.

This was a real-time reading from an independent monitoring platform and is distinct from the official CPCB figures.- Ends