Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is set to distribute free LPG cylinders to eligible families on Tuesday, 11 November 2026, with the subsidy amount being routed directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa will also attend the distribution event, according to an official statement.

Key Details of the LPG Distribution Drive

The scheme channels financial assistance directly to eligible households rather than distributing cylinders in kind, ensuring that beneficiaries can redeem the support at their convenience. The DBT mechanism is designed to reduce leakages and ensure the grant reaches verified account holders. The event marks one of the more visible welfare moves by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration in Delhi since Chief Minister Gupta took office.

BJP Hits Out at AAP Over Stubble Burning and Air Pollution

Separately, Delhi BJP spokespersons Anil Gupta and Praveen Shankar Kapoor launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its handling of stubble burning in Punjab and the resulting deterioration in air quality across north India. They argued that blaming firecrackers for the spike in pollution — as both AAP and the Indian National Congress (Congress) have done — amounts to an attack on the religious sentiments of Hindus who celebrate Diwali with fireworks.

Citing Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the spokespersons noted that the Air Quality Index (AQI) on the morning after Diwali during the previous AAP administration stood at 358 on 13 November 2023 and 341 on 1 November 2024. This year, despite what they described as 'considerable relaxation' in firecracker restrictions, the AQI reached 368, while it stood at 364 on Diwali day, 8 November 2026 — figures the BJP said prove firecrackers did not cause any unprecedented spike.

Allegations Against AAP Over Punjab Stubble Burning

Kapoor questioned where funds allocated by the Centre to the Punjab government for managing stubble burning have gone each year. He also cited remarks by Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra, who reportedly alleged that individuals linked to the AAP were setting fire to agricultural fields in Punjab as part of a 'conspiracy.' The BJP spokespersons contended that the AAP, which has governed Punjab since 2022, had made no concrete efforts to curb stubble burning despite being in power for several years.

The Air Quality Debate: What the Numbers Show

Comparing AQI data across 2023, 2024, and 2026, Delhi BJP leaders argued that toxic air from Punjab's stubble burning — not Diwali firecrackers — is primarily responsible for choking Delhi each winter. Critics, however, argue that stubble burning and firecrackers are both significant contributors to seasonal pollution spikes, and that isolating one factor does not absolve the other. This annual blame-game between Delhi and Punjab administrations has become a recurring political flashpoint as north India's post-harvest air quality crisis deepens.

As the winter pollution season intensifies, all eyes will be on whether the competing administrations can move beyond political point-scoring to coordinate concrete, measurable action on both stubble burning and urban emission sources.