RSS body slams AAP govt in Delhi for firecracker ban: ‘Hurting sentiments…’

The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch said that the burning of firecrackers “illegally” imported from China causes air pollution due to the mixing of potassium nitrate and sulphur in them, and not the green ones manufactured in India.

The blanket ban on firecrackers imposed by Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi met with fresh opposition on Saturday after the RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch lashed out at the government, terming the move “inappropriate and unscientific”.

People burning firecrackers on Diwali in Pandav Nagar in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

The RSS body further stated that the burning of firecrackers “illegally” imported from China causes air pollution owing to the mixing of potassium nitrate and sulphur in them, and not the green ones manufactured in India.

It alleged that the AAP government's ban was aimed at misguiding people and diverting their attention from the real cause of air pollution in the national capital. “The SJM also urges all state governments to make efforts to find a permanent solution to the problem of stubble burning and repeal the restrictions on firecrackers during Diwali,” it said.

The RSS body said all government agencies have failed to solve the stubble burning issue in Haryana, Delhi and Punjab along with other parts of the country despite it being a “biggest source” of air pollution in the capital and its surrounding regions.

The ban on all kinds of firecrackers, it said, is not just “arbitrary, anti-people and bereft of any scientific basis, but also hurting the sentiments of the people on the occasion of Diwali”.

“The Swadeshi Jagran Manch also urges the Delhi Police to come clear on whether they will follow the arbitrary orders of the Delhi government of arresting people in Delhi if found in possession of or bursting firecrackers,” the RSS affiliate said.

The SJM said the Delhi government's decision would heavily impact more than millions of workers and others involved in the production and distribution of firecrackers in India. “Throughout the year, these people wait for Diwali to sell the firecrackers,” it said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined a petition by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari seeking urgent hearing of a plea challenging the blanket ban. The bench said, “Let people breathe clean air…spend your money on sweets”.

(With inputs from agencies)