A day after Diwali, Delhi woke up to hazy skies and rising pollution levels, with the familiar blame game over deteriorating air quality beginning to unfold. While the debate over the contribution of firecrackers continued, Delhi Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra on Monday accused AAP of orchestrating a conspiracy to set agricultural fields on fire in Punjab on Diwali evening, alleging that the sudden spike in stubble-burning incidents was aimed at worsening pollution in the national capital.Addressing a press conference, Mishra cited satellite data to claim that Punjab recorded around 125 stubble-burning incidents daily between November 5 and 7, but the figure suddenly jumped to nearly 1,200 on November 8, coinciding with Diwali.Questioning the sudden rise, he said, “How is it possible that only 125 incidents were recorded on November 5, 6 and 7, but suddenly the number increased to 1,200 on the evening of Diwali? How did the figure increase tenfold?”Mishra alleged that farmers were celebrating the festival with their families when unidentified people entered their fields, set the crop residue on fire and fled. He said his party had received calls from farmers in Punjab reporting such incidents, although he had initially found the claims difficult to believe. He claimed the satellite data subsequently strengthened these suspicions.He further alleged that the fires were deliberately set to ensure that smoke reached Delhi between November 8 and 10. He demanded that the Punjab government register FIRs into all reported incidents. He also called for the examination of phone records of AAP MLAs and leaders from Punjab, as well as those who had travelled from Delhi.“Punjab’s farmers are making honest efforts to prevent stubble burning. The Punjab Chief Minister should support them and arrest those who entered their fields, set them on fire and fled,” he said.Mishra also questioned AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal over what he described as a campaign against Diwali, firecrackers and Sanatan traditions. He alleged that AAP leaders had begun making statements against the festival days before Diwali and claimed the campaign was intended to divert attention from the alleged incidents of stubble burning.Defending the government’s pollution-control efforts, Mishra claimed that Delhi’s post-Diwali pollution levels had improved compared with previous years. Citing his comparison of pre- and post-Diwali figures, he said pollution had increased by 43.33 per cent in 2023 and around 10 per cent in 2024, while this year it had declined by 1.33 per cent.He maintained that the figures were sourced from the same website Kejriwal had used to cite AQI readings, arguing that the source could not be questioned selectively.The minister said pollution remained a serious challenge and could not be eliminated overnight. He accused the AAP of attempting to create a divide between farmers and those celebrating Diwali.“The fight against pollution must be fought collectively, with the government, society and citizens all taking responsibility. Farmers and Diwali are not against each other,” he said.Meanwhile, official air-quality readings showed a deterioration in Delhi after the festival.According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s average AQI stood at 335 at 7 am on Monday, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. Several monitoring stations, including Jahangirpuri, Chandni Chowk and Mundka, recorded readings above 400, in the ‘severe’ category. Thick smog also reduced visibility in several parts of the capital.