No odd-even sans exceptions, can't risk women's safety: AAP after NGT rap

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on Saturday that the odd-even scheme cannot be implemented without exceptions and the safety of women cannot be risked, after the Delhi government called off the planned car-rationing measure.

The Delhi government on Saturday called off the odd-even scheme, which was to be implemented for five-days from Monday, after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the withdrawal of exemptions under it, including those extended to women and two-wheelers, when it was rolled out on two previous occasions.

"Odd-even was not to satisfy anybody's ego. Women being vulnerable cannot be exposed to risks. The Delhi government cannot risk the safety of women during odd-even period. Will not implement odd-even without exemptions to women," party's Delhi unit chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted.

The green bench had earlier on Saturday, ordered that no exemption should be allowed to "any person or officer and two-wheelers".

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar ordered that there should be no exemption to "any person or officer and two-wheelers" from the ambit and scope of the road rationing scheme and would be applied with equal vigour to all vehicles.

The government will file a review petition on Monday for the NGT to reconsider their decision regarding the exemption of two- wheelers and women.

Earlier on Friday, AAP's Delhi unit convenor and Labour Minister Gopal Rai had strongly defended the odd-even scheme, saying the vehicular pollution was the biggest source of ultrafine particulate matters measuring less than 2.5 microns.