NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider on October 10, a plea by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari seeking permission to sell, purchase or use permissible firecrackers.
The plea which was mentioned before CJI UU Lalit stated that Delhi has put a blanket ban on the sale, purchase and usage of firecrackers during festive seasons of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians & others till January 2023 and there’s a presumption that other states may also ban it like last year.
Tiwari in the petition has contended that in the name of the right to life, freedom of religion cannot be taken away and a balance must have been struck to ensure that no action can be taken against common people for using or selling firecrackers.
Against the backdrop of FIRs and arbitrary arrests of people in 2021 for selling and bursting crackers assuming that everything was banned, Tiwari has also sought for issuing guidelines to not take coercive action against the public for using or selling permissible firecrackers.
Relief for issuance of guidelines to each and every state to take necessary measures to reduce pollution including installation of smog towers, and drive to planting trees.
On October 29, 2021, the apex court had banned the crackers which were found to be injurious to health while making it clear that there is no blanket ban on crackers and people could use permissible firecrackers to celebrate their festivals.