Rahul Gandhi Demands National Action Plan After Calling for Air Pollution Debate

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday urged the government to create a specific strategy for each city to address air pollution. He described this issue as one that should involve everyone and emphasised the need for a united national action plan. Gandhi called for full cooperation between the Treasury and Opposition members on this matter. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he advocated for a structured Parliamentary discussion, followed by a long-term national strategy.

He suggested, “it would be good if we have a detailed discussion, and then the Prime Minister puts in place a plan for each city – a methodical, systematic plan on how within the next five or ten years… maybe, we cannot resolve the problem, but how we are going to impact the problem and make life for our people easier”.

In a message on X, the LoP said,

“Air pollution has become a national catastrophe that demands a comprehensive and immediate national action plan. This is not a political issue but a bipartisan responsibility, for which we are ready to work with the PM to combat it, solve it and protect the future of our people.”

Earlier, he stated that the talk about a national plan should not concentrate on the big successes or on “what you have not done” or “what we did not do earlier.” Gandhi highlighted that India’s major cities are “living under a blanket of poisonous air.” He warned that millions of children are developing lung diseases, older citizens are finding it hard to breathe, and cancer cases are increasing due to poor air quality.

The Congress MP mentioned that this is one of the few issues where the government and the Opposition can show unity. He urged members to avoid partisan exchanges during the proposed debate. Instead, he encouraged them to show the country that both sides can work together to tackle a pressing national challenge.

Gandhi mentioned it would be better to focus the discussion on the necessary action steps rather than engaging in a blame game. He called air pollution a national catastrophe and stated that it requires a thorough and immediate national action plan.

“I think it’s important that the government develops a plan for how to get rid of air pollution in our cities. We are more than happy to cooperate with the government on developing such a plan. There are not many issues these days that the government and the entire Opposition can agree on,” he said.

Gandhi emphasised that the Opposition is ready to work with the government to create a practical plan to reduce air pollution and improve public health.

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