Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday launched a sharp attack on the central government over worsening air quality across India, saying parents everywhere are increasingly fearful for their children’s health as pollution levels remain in the “hazardous” category in several major cities.
Taking to social media platform X, Gandhi said that the concerns expressed by parents were now universal. “Every mother I meet tells me the same thing: her child is growing up breathing toxic air. They are exhausted, scared and angry,” he wrote, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of remaining indifferent to the crisis. “Modi ji, India’s children are choking in front of us. How can you stay silent? Why does your government show no urgency, no plan, no accountability?”
Calling the situation a “health emergency,” Rahul Gandhi said families feel abandoned as air pollution worsens each year without any concrete intervention from the Centre. He demanded that Parliament hold an immediate and detailed debate on the issue and urged the government to adopt a stringent, enforceable national action plan. “India needs an immediate, detailed Parliament debate on air pollution and a strict, enforceable action plan to tackle this health emergency. Our children deserve clean air, not excuses and distractions,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi shared an eight-minute video of his interactions with several mothers in Delhi, highlighting the emotional and physical toll pollution is taking on families. In a second post, he emphasised the depth of their anxiety. “The pain of children sinks into mothers' hearts like the deepest wound. I met some such brave mothers who are fighting against pollution in Delhi, they are scared not just for their own children, but for the future of children across the entire country,” he wrote.
He said small children were increasingly suffering from lung ailments, cardiovascular problems and even mental health issues due to prolonged exposure to toxic air. Gandhi accused the government of inaction, saying the crisis was escalating while the authorities looked on. “But even amidst such a terrifying national disaster, the Modi government is sitting idle with folded hands and time is slipping rapidly from our grasp,” he said.
The Congress leader reiterated his call for urgent policy measures. “India needs an immediate serious discussion and decisive action on this, so that our children do not have to struggle even for clean air, but instead grow up in an India that provides them with health, safety, and the full sky to rise and shine,” he posted.
Gandhi’s remarks come amid persistently severe air quality across North India, particularly in Delhi-NCR, where pollution levels have triggered health advisories and heightened concern among citizens.
