"LG reminded him of his responsibilities": Parvesh Verma targets Kejriwal over pollution

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Verma said, "They (Arvind Kejriwal) keep running away from the accountability that is due to the people of Delhi. Even while being the Chief Minister, they kept running away; today, even while in the opposition, they keep running away."

He further alleged that the current situation in Delhi could have been avoided had the former Chief Minister taken concrete steps to address pollution and other civic issues.

"If he had done even a little bit of work regarding the current pollution situation in Delhi or whatever problems we are fighting against, this situation wouldn't have arisen today," Verma added.

"The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has reminded him of his responsibilities," he said.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Tuesday wrote a 15-page letter to former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, holding him and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government responsible for Delhi's deteriorating air quality and lack of new infrastructure and facilities.

"In the 11 years you have been being Chief Minister, you have finished each and every norm of political, constitutional, and democratic institutions," LG Saxena wrote in the letter.

Writing about an incident involving the former Chief Minister, LG Saxena said he had asked Kejriwal about the pollution, and the concerns were dismissed as an issue that is raised every year but forgotten later.

According to the LG, Kejriwal told him, "Sir, this happens every year. The media raises it for 15-20 days. Activists and the courts make it an issue, and then everyone forgets. You too should not pay much attention to it."

Alleging multiple other lapses in governance, LG Saxena also criticised the lack of new hospitals, schools, or infrastructure during Kejriwal's tenure.

"You had promised 500 new schools, but almost nothing was made. Also, school toilets were counted as classrooms to make the numbers look better," the LG wrote. (ANI)