Mumbai, Nov. 13 -- At a time when the air quality in major Indian cities like New Delhi and Mumbai is in a critical state, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has recommended the formation of Climate Change Councils at the central and state levels, on the lines of the GST Council, to ensure coordinated action and regular monitoring of the country's climate commitments. In a post on X, the former Maharashtra environment minister also accused the central government of "greenwashing" and presenting a picture that "differs from reality without maintaining transparency in its statistics". Thackeray called for the formation of a central Climate Change Council chaired by the prime minister and comprising the environment ministers of all states, who "should meet every three months to review actual data, targets and progress". "Central ministers responsible for these subjects, as well as representatives of key departments such as urban development, rural development, energy, agriculture, industry and roads, should be included as needed," he wrote. Apart from a central council, the 36-year-old said the chief ministers of all states should chair the state Climate Change Councils, and "all relevant departments should be included to provide up-to-date information on the climate action plan". The remarks came in the backdrop of Mumbai's air quality index (AQI) spiking to a peak of 278 during Diwali, as firecrackers went off across the city despite a Bombay High Court recently ordering a year-round ban on the bursting of firecrackers on roads and public spaces. While raising concerns over deteriorating environmental conditions, Thackeray pointed out that several Indian cities registered among the world's most polluted cities and alleged that a lack of data integrity was affecting India's position on international climate indices. "Citizens complain, but most politicians do not understand their suffering. As a result, citizens have to protest, travel from place to place, and some even have to leave their cities or countries to secure the most basic necessities, such as clean air, clean water and pure food," he wrote. Thackeray also highlighted the additional financial burden on citizens, who have to "spend their own money on air purifiers, water purifiers and sources of pure food" despite paying direct and indirect taxes....