During the hearing, CJI Surya Kant urged the petitioner to recognise the actual conditions in the country and asked him to travel to parts of India.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Opposition of avoiding the debate, saying they “don’t want” a proper discussion on pollution.

In a rare acknowledgment of instances of judicial corruption, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday said that there is a growing trend of judges passing a series of orders for extraneous considerations on the eve of their retirement.