Pollution: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh again refuses to meet Kejriwal

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has refused to meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to discuss the issue of air pollution, resulting from the burning of crop stubble.

Kejriwal tweeted Singh, asking for an appointment: 

Kerjiwal, who will be meeting Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh on Wednesday had also had trouble meeting Khattar. 

Kejriwal had asked to meet Khattar while the latter was in Delhi but Khattar had said he wouldn't have the time to do so in Delhi and that it would be better if they met in Chandigarh. 

Amarinder Singh responded to Kejriwal's request for a meeting saying he failed to understand why the Delhi chief minister was "trying to force his hand, knowing well that any such discussion would be meaningless and futile". 

He added that Kejriwal should stop politicising the serious issue of stubble burning.

Amarinder also alleged the AAP leader was trying to divert public attention from his government's failure to check the problem of pollution in Delhi.

Delhi's pollution problem, he said, is the result mainly of urban pollution caused by "mismanaged" transport and "unplanned" industrial development. 

Amarinder added that he does not have luxury time like Kejriwal and that he (Kejriwal) should focus his attention on resolving issues instead of wasting his time by holding useless discussions. 

Amarinder had earlier also said there was no point in him meeting Kejriwal since the stubble burning issue would have to be resolved by the centre.

Amarinder's media advisor Raveen Thukral also put out a tweet, quoting the Punjab CM as saying to Kejriwal: "Stop politicising the pollution issue, you know any meeting between us would be useless." 

The tweet added that the problem and solutions to it would be better left to the Supreme Court and the central government.