New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS): Calling Delhi Chief Minister Atishi’s visit to inspect Yamuna water quality a 'publicity gimmick', Congress national spokesperson Alok Sharma said on Wednesday that the situation would not have been so bad had the earlier government headed by Arvind Kejriwal set up even a single functional sewage treatment plant.

Claiming that polluted air is forcing Delhiites to daily inhale polluted air equal to smoking 10 cigarettes, he said AAP leaders are focusing only on public posturing and speeches but the Yamuna’s pollution has not shown any sign of reduction.

“Sometimes they are indulging in gimmicks from inside the jail, sometimes on the banks of the Yamuna, but the situation in the ground is not improving and even kids are struggling to breathe,” Sharma told IANS.

Asked about the Delhi BJP leaders’ challenge to AAP leaders to take a bath in Yamuna on the bank close to Delhi Secretariat on Thursday, the Congress leader said earlier the Chief Minister indulged in gimmickry now it is BJP leaders’ turn to do so.

“It is all linked to their electoral interests as Assembly polls are just three months away,” he said.

Sharma said the BJP cannot run away from the responsibility of cleaning the Yamuna as the party has seven MPs from Delhi.

“Wasn’t cleaning Yamuna a political promise of the BJP? Isn’t it the responsibility of the BJP to clean the river since Delhi is a Union Territory with the Lieutenant Governor being their representative?” asked Sharma.

The Congress leader also slammed the Delhi government for misusing the pollution cess collected from the public.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Atishi visited the Wazirabad barrage in north Delhi for an inspection and blamed the untreated industrial waste dumped into the river by Haryana for the increasing level of ammonia which has rendered it unusable for producing potable water in Delhi Jal Board plants.

She also claimed that the increase in the formation of foam in the river in recent days was due to untreated water being released into the river by BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.