Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the Delhi Environment Minister, has faced significant scrutiny since taking office earlier this year. The 52-year-old politician holds one of the most challenging portfolios in the Delhi Cabinet as the BJP government promised to curb pollution after coming to power in 2025. His tenure has been marked by controversy, starting with the fuel ban on end-of-life vehicles in July, which was quickly put on hold after public backlash. The Diwali firecracker ban became another flashpoint, with the government seeking Supreme Court permission to allow green firecrackers. Despite restrictions, violations were widespread, and pollution levels post-Diwali reached a five-year high. Sirsa also led a cloud-seeding experiment this week to induce rain, which failed to materialize. Opposition parties, particularly the Aam Aadmi Party, have accused the government of pollution data fraud and questioned the minister's handling of air quality management. A former Shiromani Akali Dal leader who joined the BJP in 2021, Sirsa represents Rajouri Garden and is among Delhi's wealthiest legislators with assets close to Rs 260 crore.
Controversial Decisions and Pollution Management Failures
Sirsa's first major decision involved banning fuel supply to old vehicles in July, but the government quickly asked the Commission for Air Quality Management to pause the order after public resistance. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta cited concerns about affecting families' livelihoods, while Sirsa blamed a malfunctioning identification system. The Diwali firecracker issue became contentious when the BJP government approached the Supreme Court seeking permission for green firecrackers, contrary to its earlier stance. Despite Court-mandated time restrictions on October 19 and 20, violations were rampant across NCR. Post-Diwali pollution levels hit a five-year high, and AQI data went missing for several hours. Sirsa blamed Punjab's AAP government for stubble burning, though data showed farm fires were actually at their lowest for that period.
Political Journey from Akali Dal to BJP Cabinet
Sirsa began his political career with the Shiromani Akali Dal, serving as president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee in 2013 and 2017. He was a vocal critic of the BJP during the 2020 farm law protests but joined the party just a year later. The BJP saw him as a credible Sikh face ahead of Punjab's 2022 Assembly elections. He first won Rajouri Garden in 2013 with BJP support, lost in 2015, then reclaimed it in a 2017 bypoll. In the 2025 Delhi elections that brought BJP to power after 27 years, Sirsa won again from Rajouri Garden. Besides Environment, he also handles Industries and Food & Supplies ministries and is among Delhi's richest MLAs.
Source: Link