Delhi CM booed with 'AQI' chants during Messi event
What's the story
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was greeted with chants of "AQI, AQI" at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. The event was to welcome football legend Lionel Messi as part of his India tour. The chants came amid a severe air pollution crisis in Delhi, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) had reached 498 in the morning and settled at 427 by evening.
Political backlash
AAP criticizes Gupta, BJP over pollution crisis
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has slammed Gupta and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for their inaction on the pollution crisis. Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP's Delhi unit chief, shared a video of the incident on social media with a caption calling it "International Shame." He also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the issue. "In a country where everyone is talking about pollution, the prime minister is just silent on the issue," Bharadwaj said.
Government response
Gupta blames previous governments, promises action
In her defense earlier, Gupta accused past AAP and Congress governments of neglecting pollution control. She had said there is a backlog of 27 years and her government needs at least 27 months to tackle the problem. "After 27 months, you can ask me about the steps we took to address air pollution," she added.
Event highlights
Messi's tour concludes amid severe pollution
Despite the smog, Messi's G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025 ended on a high note in Delhi. The football icon addressed fans briefly in Spanish, saying "Gracias, Delhi! Hasta pronto," which was met with thunderous applause. However, the dense smog had already affected daily life in Delhi with poor visibility and health concerns troubling residents and visitors alike.