Diwali celebrations in New Jersey: Viral video of firefighters dousing crackers draws mixed response
New Jersey: A viral video of firefighters spraying water in an area of a street where a Diwali cracker had been burst has attracted mixed reactions from netizens in spite of a clarification by the person who posted the clip that it was a safety measure.
The clip, shared by an Indian living in New Jersey, Mukul Verma, on his Instagram page, shows Indians celebrating Diwali by bursting crackers on a street before the firefighters intervened to spray water in the area.
Some social media users took the action by the firefighters in good spirit; some welcomed it and also criticized Indians for not changing their thinking style. A few netizens criticized the move, saying Indians were not permitted to celebrate their festivals.
A user reminded that local laws were not to be broken and any action that makes native people uncomfortable was not to be taken, as it would only spread more hatred for Indians and lead to unnecessary closure of job and education opportunities for all.
“It's really surprising that we Indians can't really mend our ways. Either it's in India or foreign lands we behave in a same manner and then we say that the worldwide criticism that we receive is not right (sic),” said another netizen.
On the other hand, a user took objection, saying Americans too burst crackers during New Year.
Verma posted a response in the comments sections supporting the firefighters, saying, “Just to clarify — this Diwali celebration was fully permitted by the state, and fireworks were officially allowed. All safety measures like roadblocks, ambulance & fire brigade were arranged by the city. Someone from the crowd suddenly lit skyshots which weren’t allowed, so the fire brigade sprayed water only for safety — not to stop Diwali. The police were managing the crowd. Please don’t spread hate; Diwali is about light, love & unity (sic)”
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
