New Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, former Delhi chief minister and national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party, has urged the central government to immediately scrap the 18 per cent goods and services tax levied on air purifiers and water purifiers, describing the levy as “gross injustice” at a time when air quality in the national capital region has deteriorated to hazardous levels.

In a strongly worded Hindi post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Kejriwal argued that access to clean air and clean water constitutes a fundamental right and accused the Union government of “profiting from public distress” rather than offering solutions.

“When the air in Delhi and large parts of north India has turned poisonous, the government’s response is to extract additional tax revenue from citizens who are forced to buy air purifiers to protect their families,” he wrote. “If the Centre cannot provide clean air, it should at least refrain from burdening people’s pockets.”

The intervention comes as Delhi’s Air Quality Index has consistently remained in the “very poor” to “severe” categories this winter, with forecasts from the government’s Early Warning System for Air Quality indicating no significant improvement over the coming week. Medical experts have warned of rising respiratory and cardiac risks, particularly among vulnerable groups.

Currently, both electric and non-electric air purifiers attract an 18 per cent GST, a rate that has remained unchanged since the tax regime’s rollout in 2017. Water purifiers are similarly taxed at 18 per cent, placing them in the same slab as consumer durables regarded as non-essential.

Opposition leaders have increasingly framed pollution-mitigation devices as public-health necessities rather than luxury goods, a position that contrasts with the finance ministry’s long-standing classification.

The AAP, which governed Delhi until early 2025, had previously subsidised rooftop solar panels and offered rebates on electric vehicles but lacked the authority to alter GST rates, which fall exclusively under the purview of the GST Council chaired by the Union finance minister.

Mr Kejriwal’s demand adds to mounting pressure on the Centre ahead of the next GST Council meeting, with several state finance ministers from opposition-ruled states already signalling support for reclassifying life-saving pollution-control equipment under the 5 per cent or nil bracket.

Neither the finance ministry nor the office of the current Delhi chief minister has issued an immediate response to Mr Kejriwal’s statement at the time of publication.