BJP hails apex court decision, terms it Diwali gift for citizens

The SC decision to permit the sale and use of green crackers in Delhi-NCR has sparked contrasting reactions across the political spectrum, with the BJP hailing it as a Diwali gift for citizens, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress expressed concerns over pollution control and lax enforcement.

The BJP has consistently maintained that firecrackers used on one night of Diwali are not responsible for the increase in winter pollution. There are several other significant causes. However, the previous government deliberately blamed firecrackers for pollution.”

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said this permission to burst firecrackers on Diwali for the Sanatanis of Delhi is the result of their correct voting decision in the elections.

He said: “The former Arvind Kejriwal government, especially Kejriwal himself and Gopal Rai, are symbols of anti-Hindu leftist politics, and their government intentionally presented such data that led the Supreme Court to impose a ban on bursting firecrackers during Diwali in recent years.”

The AAP, meanwhile, welcomed the Supreme Court’s conditional approval for bursting green crackers but warned the BJP Government against risking another pollution crisis.

Former Environment Minister Gopal Rai said: “In 2018, when similar permission for green crackers was granted, the Delhi Police failed to enforce the order, leading to widespread violations and a subsequent complete ban by the NGT in 2020. Now that the Supreme Court has once again allowed green crackers, we hope that the four-engine BJP government will ensure proper implementation and protect Delhiites from pollution hazards.”

Rai also criticised the government for failing to announce a winter action plan even as air quality in the city continues to deteriorate. “Half of October has already passed, but the BJP government has neither prepared nor announced its winter action plan,” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav blamed the former AAP government and the current BJP-led administration for failing to take sustained action against the city’s worsening air quality. “Widespread rains may have delayed the spike in pollution, but now that the air quality has entered the ‘poor’ category, the government’s inaction stands exposed,” Yadav said.

He said vehicular emissions, dust from broken roads and unregulated construction were the main causes of Delhi’s toxic air. “Both the Kejriwal and Rekha Gupta governments have failed to act. With Diwali approaching, unscrupulous people may exploit the green cracker ruling to sell polluting ones. The government must stay vigilant and prevent sharp rise in the air pollution,” Yadav warned.