While political parties argue about the reasons Delhi has literally becoming a "gas chamber", blaming it on stubble burning by farmers, vehicular traffic and industrial production; one Indian politician has shocked everyone with his take on the cause of pollution in Delhi which has been widely mocked online as absurd.
Vineet Agarwal Sharda, a state legislator from Uttar Pradesh's city of Meerut, on Tuesday, alleged that either of India's two neighbouring countries, Pakistan or China, could have released the poisonous gases into the country's capital city.
"There is a possibility that this poisonous gas could have been released by any neighbouring country which is afraid of us. I feel that Pakistan or China is afraid of us," Sharda told Indian news agency ANI.
He suggests that the Indian government should seriously ascertain whether Pakistan released any poisonous gas. The State lawmaker continued by explaining that Islamabad is unhappy that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah took charge. He also pointed to the economic slowdown that Islamabad is facing, which he claims is driving the country to take up a begging bowl.
"Whenever Pakistan fought a war with India, it was defeated. Since PM Modi and Amit Shah came, Pakistan has become frustrated," he said.
Within a few hours of making the statement, the politician's words turned him into a laughing stock on Twitter, with people not refraining from name-calling and ridiculing him for his absurd claims.
Earlier, Sharda had become an internet sensation after a video of his rap-like speech went viral on social media and provided inspiration for meme content to netizens. He was urging voters to give their mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party by chanting “Kamal” (lotus, the symbol of the political party) numerous times.