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New Delhi: In a heated exchange, the Delhi government on Tuesday vehemently dismissed claims linking Diwali fireworks to the city's recent surge in pollution. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused those making such connections of being "admirers of Aurangzeb and Akbar" with ulterior motives, and of deliberately politicising a Hindu festival.
Sirsa lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had criticised the Delhi government's handling of the pollution crisis. He stated that the AAP was "deliberately bringing Diwali, Sanatana Dharma, and Hinduism into the picture."
He defended the celebration of Diwali, calling it a "Sanatan Hindu festival" and questioning why the AAP was "cursing the festival" and using "words against the festival." Sirsa expressed embarrassment at the AAP's criticism of the BJP's celebration of Diwali and alleged that former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had banned firecrackers during his tenure to "garner the votes of a particular community."
"Since this morning, Arvind Kejriwal's entire team has been constantly cursing Diwali... Sanjay Singh and his colleagues have been tweeting since last night, asking to stop celebrating Diwali. Aam Aadmi Party president is cursing the BJP," Sirsa said during a press conference.
He further attacked the notion that Diwali celebrations were responsible for the pollution, calling it a "lie" and an attempt to "please some section." Sirsa stated, "The admirers of Aurangzeb and Akbar are saying this; those who had put Tipu Sultan's photo in the Vidhan Sabha are saying this."
Presenting data during a press conference, Sirsa claimed that the post-Diwali rise in pollution levels this year was significantly lower compared to previous years. He highlighted that the difference in the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded before and after Diwali was only 11 points, questioning whether Diwali or the faith of Hindus should be held accountable for this.
He contrasted this with Diwali in 2020, where PM2.5 levels rose by 21 points, and in 2021, by 80 points, even when firecrackers were used. He also noted that in 2024, even with firecrackers banned, the AQI increased by 32 points from 328 to 360.
Earlier in the day, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj had questioned the unavailability of PM2.5 and PM10 data from Diwali night, suggesting that the Delhi government might have had an arrangement with the "Fire Cracker Lobby."
Bharadwaj tweeted that the Delhi Government's District Magistrates, their teams, and the Delhi Police did not stop the illegal sale of normal crackers, despite the Supreme Court's permission being restricted to "Green Crackers" only. The Supreme Court had permitted the sale and use of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, with specific timings of 6-7 pm and 8-10 pm, a mandate that reportedly went unheeded by many.
“Earlier there was a doubt that BJP’s Delhi Govt had some arrangements with multi crore “Fire Cracker Lobby”, but now it’s almost certain. Delhi Govt’s District Magistrates, their teams and Delhi Police did NOT stop the illegal sales of normal crackers though SC permission was for “Green Crackers” only,” Bharadwaj wrote on X.
