Delhi govt hopes for 'meaningful' order by SC over green firecracker ban
New Delhi (PTI): Expecting a relief from the Supreme Court ahead of Diwali regarding the firecracker ban in the city, the Delhi government has planned extensive measures to make sure that pollution levels do not shoot up due to violations and the use of prohibited fireworks during the festival, officials said on Friday.
The Supreme Court earlier in the day said a complete ban on bursting of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR is "neither practical nor ideal" as such restrictions were often violated, and balancing of equities is needed.
The observations, which hinted towards relaxation on the ban, were made by a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran while reserving its order on a batch of pleas seeking permission to manufacture and sell "green" firecrackers in Delhi and the National Capital Region.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the government wanted lifting of the ban at least for one hour each in the morning and the evening of Diwali and Guru Parab festivals.
"A ban on bursting of firecrackers on the festival in Delhi is not proper. We want relaxation so that people can celebrate by bursting green crackers," he said.
Culture and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra said the court has been requested for permission for bursting green crackers in Delhi on the occasion of Diwali, while adhering to the prescribed pollution control standards.
"It's a matter of faith of crores of people and there are reports also that show firecracker bursting is not such a major cause of air pollution," he told reporters.
Mishra hoped the court will come up with a "meaningful" direction enabling people of Delhi to celebrate Diwali with traditional gaiety like people across the country.
Delhi government officials said that directions have been issued to take various measures to ensure implementation of all anti-pollution measures and to check any use of traditional firecrackers, if the court lifts the ban on bursting green firecrackers.
Various enforcement and monitoring protocols have already been planned for execution, including a dedicated control room during the festive period to receive complaints of violations.
Enforcement teams will be deployed with personnel from Delhi Police, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and MCD to prevent the sale and use of non-compliant firecrackers that are said to emit more pollutants, said a senior Delhi government officer.
Promotion of reporting by citizens through online platforms like Sameer App, Green Delhi App, and other official channels, will be taken up to strengthen enforcement, he said. An awareness campaign to educate people about the permissible type of green firecrackers will also be launched, he added.
The court has already been informed about these measures through an affidavit, he added.
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Muslim organisations seek restoration of 2B reservation, place 10 demands before govt
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota has placed 10 major demands before the state government at the ‘Karnataka Muslim Convention’, including the restoration of reservation for Muslims under Category 2B of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and the repeal or amendment of the anti-cow slaughter law and the withdrawal of the anti-conversion law.
Presenting the demands in his keynote address at the convention organised by the federation at Town Hall in Bengaluru on Saturday, social activist Muhammad Yaseen Malpe said the Congress government had promised to withdraw the order issued by the previous BJP government banning hijab for Muslim girl students. He said the restriction remained in force until the date of the convention was announced and thanked the government for withdrawing it.
On reservation, Yaseen Malpe said the Congress government has not restored the reservation for Muslims under Category 2B, which was abolished by the previous BJP government in 2023, despite being in power for three years. He said that although the Supreme Court of India had stayed the order abolishing the reservation, no legislative steps have been taken to restore it, and urged the government to do so at the earliest.
Referring to the anti-conversion law, he said the state cabinet had decided on June 15, 2023 to repeal the legislation introduced by the BJP government. However, he noted that no Bill to withdraw the law has yet been introduced in the Legislative Assembly. He said the law, which he described as intended to harass minorities and curtail religious freedom, continues to remain in force and demanded that it be withdrawn immediately.
On the anti-cow slaughter law, he said the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020 had become a “death warrant” for farmers, labourers, meat traders and cattle transporters and alleged that it was enacted with the sole intention of targeting Muslims. He demanded that the law be repealed or amended without delay.
Yaseen Malpe said the Congress had promised in its election manifesto to allocate Rs 10,000 crore annually for minority welfare. However, he pointed out that only around Rs 4,762 crore has been earmarked in the 2026-27 Budget, which he said was less than half of the promised amount. He urged the government to fully implement the commitment in the coming years.
On waqf properties, he alleged that large-scale encroachment, illegal transfers, undervalued leases and weak administration continue to affect waqf assets. He said the government had not done satisfactory work in recovering, developing and ensuring accountability in respect of waqf properties. He also expressed dissatisfaction that the state government had not clearly opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 and called for a concrete plan to protect waqf properties.
Regarding the caste survey, he said neither the caste census report of the Kantharaj Commission nor the report of the survey conducted under the leadership of Madhusudhan R. Naik has been tabled in the legislature. He said this had stalled important reforms relating to reservation and welfare and alleged that the government had caused great injustice and disappointment to backward classes, Dalits, minorities and other weaker sections.
On hate speech, hate crimes and hate campaigns, he said incidents targeting Muslims, including mob violence, moral policing and economic boycotts, continue to occur. He said repeated offenders were not facing effective legal action and urged the government to take necessary steps.
On political representation, Yaseen Malpe said Muslims remain underrepresented in the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, corporations and boards, universities, commissions and local bodies. He noted that Muslims constitute around 13 per cent of Karnataka’s population, but only 19 of the Congress party’s 136 MLAs are Muslims. He also said that since this government came to power, only one Muslim had been given an opportunity in the selection to 15 seats in the Legislative Council.
He further stated that not a single Muslim heads any of the state’s major government medical institutions and demanded representation for Muslims in legislative bodies and key government institutions in proportion to their population.
On education, he said the government had undertaken some positive measures for Muslim students and expressed gratitude for them. However, he said substantial work remains to be done in staff recruitment, staff deployment, curriculum coverage, proper disbursal of scholarships and hostel capacity. He also pointed out that the condition of Maulana Azad Schools is highly concerning in several places.
On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, he demanded that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly pass a resolution opposing the exercise, which he said had adversely affected minorities in Bihar and West Bengal. He urged the government to ensure that SIR is not implemented in Karnataka and that no voter is deprived of the right to vote.
