‘Abki baar, AQI 400-paar’: Congress takes a swipe at Modi over Delhi pollution

The Congress on Saturday (November 14, 2026) took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 2024 Lok Sabha election slogan, “Abki baar, 400-paar”, saying it had come true in the national capital, with Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) crossing the 400-mark.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Abki baar, AQI 400-paar. The ‘pravachanmantri’s’ (preaching minister) slogan is coming true when it comes to AQI!”

Referring to reports of worsening air quality in Delhi, Mr. Ramesh said the city had become the most polluted in the world, with toxic air making breathing difficult. Children and the elderly were bearing the brunt of the pollution, while the number of patients in hospitals was rising, he said.

“Slogans were tossed into the air; now the air itself has turned to poison,” he said.

Mr. Modi had used the “Abki baar, 400-paar” slogan during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, seeking a mandate of more than 400 seats for the National Democratic Alliance.

Several air quality monitoring stations in Delhi have recorded AQI levels in the ‘severe’ category (400-500) over the past few days. The city’s average AQI had also crossed the 400-mark on Friday (November 13, 2026).