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The Supreme Court, on 9 October, upheld its November 2016 order banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) till 1 November. With Diwali falling on 19 October, the apex court’s order essentially means that no firecrackers will be available for purchase in the region before and during the festival.
“Let’s try at least one Diwali without firecrackers,” the Supreme Court reportedly said.
While the verdict was welcomed by a section of people, not everyone is happy with the ban on sale of firecrackers. Some people said it was a norm to burst crackers on Diwali, ringing in a religious angle and reminiscing about traditions.
People from all walks of life took to social media to voice their unhappiness, including some celebrities and journalists.
‘Will SC Tell Me the Number of Diyas to Light?’
In a tweet that went viral, Shefali Vaidya – a columnist with Swarajya magazine – asked if the Supreme Court was going to put a curb on the number of Diyas she can light or the length her rangoli should be.
She also asked if the apex court will “regulate” the diameter of her bindi and tell her how many flowers she can use.
Vaidya also took to Twitter to ‘defend’ the communal angle given to the ban on sale of firecrackers by bringing up how closure illegal slaughter houses was given a communal narrative.
‘Celebrate Diwali With Extra Dhoom’: Sehwag
Former cricketer Virendra Sehwag is known for his Twitter chatter. He seemingly came out against the ban when by asking people to retweet his Tweet if they would celebrate Diwali with extra ‘dhoom and dham’.
BJP Leader Collects Over Rs 1.5 Lakh to Donate Crackers
BJP’s Delhi spokesperson Tajinder Bagga, on 9 October, said he would distribute firecrackers among the children living in the slums in Delhi, claiming that the act would not violate the Supreme Court order banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR this Diwali.
In response to his tweet, the BJP leader received over Rs 1.5 lakh on his Paytm account.
He also defended that by distribution of firecrackers, he will not break the law.
Madhya Pradesh Minister Bhupendra Singh tweeted saying that everyone in the state was free to burst crackers. This tweet got the endorsement of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan, who retweeted Bhupendra’s tweet.
‘SC Verdict Makes No Difference’
Filmmaker and writer Vivek Agnihotri said that the verdict of the top court does not make a difference, citing examples of judgement against Azan and highway liquor ban.
He also referred to the verdict as a result of “screwed up” history books, written to demoralise the Hindus.
Chetan Bhagat Tweets Himself Into Controversy
Author Chetan Bhagat found himself in the middle of the controversy when he tweeted that bursting firecrackers was a traditional part of Diwali and compared it to decorating Christmas trees, or sacrificing goats during Eid.
In response, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted that banning firecrackers is not a bad decision because they are an unholy add-on to the festival.
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