Delhi Air Quality Index: Delhi’s air isn’t just hard to breathe—it’s got the whole city on edge. What started as a protest about choking smog turned into chaos on Sunday, and now Delhi’s not just asking what’s in the air, but who’s stirring up trouble. After things got out of hand—stone-pelting, people pushing through barricades, clashes with the police—the cops picked up 15 people. But here’s the twist: investigators are now digging into whether Maoists played a role.
How did a protest over toxic air turn into a street fight?
The city’s been stuck with “severe” air quality for weeks. Schools are shut, warnings keep coming, and people are fed up. They hit the streets, demanding the government actually do something. Most showed up for a peaceful sit-in, or at least that’s what everyone expected. Then, suddenly, a group broke through the barricades. The police responded with lathis. Push came to shove—literally—and soon, people were being dragged off under arrest. Videos started flying around online: masked figures picking fights, chaos everywhere. Now, people are wondering if outsiders hijacked the whole thing.
Who are these 15 people the police detained?
The cops say it’s a mix—some locals, some folks nobody seems to know, and not exactly the usual environmental activists. Some had pamphlets and notes, the kind that suggest this wasn’t all spontaneous. No one’s said exactly who they’re connected to, but early questioning made the police uneasy. They’re talking about “external ideological influence” and digging deeper.
Then there’s the Maoist angle. Is it real, or just speculation?
This is where things get strange. Senior officials started dropping hints about a Maoist link—maybe radical groups tried to use the pollution anger to kick off something bigger. India’s seen these claims before, especially during big protests, but it hits differently with the air crisis getting worse every year.
Right now, the police are combing through digital messages and tracking group movements to see if there’s anything to back up the theory. Meanwhile, civil rights groups are already warning: don’t jump to conclusions, don’t start labelling people without hard evidence.
Under all this noise, the real problems are still there
Delhi’s pollution is out of control, and nobody’s managed to fix it. People want real action: cleaner air, honest accountability, not just politicians passing the buck.
As the investigation drags on, one thing’s obvious: this isn’t just about pollution anymore. The air crisis has blown up into a social and political mess, and the government can’t just look away.
