On social media, Delhiites share videos of flouting of firecracker ban
New Delhi, Oct 25: Social media was abuzz with videos of people bursting firecrackers with impunity on Diwali in the national capital, defying a ban in place to curb pollution.
The veracity of these videos could not independently verified.
The Arvind Kejriwal government had in September announced a complete ban on the production, sale and use of all types of firecrackers till January 1, 2023, including on Diwali, a practice it has been following for the last two years.
Sharing a clip, Punnet Bansal tweeted, "No Judges, Politicians, Dogs or Insects were harmed during the making of this video... Celebrated Diwali as it should be!! #DhuaHuaKejriwal #Diwali".
Another Twitter user Woke Pandemic, whose Twitter bio says "president of WhatsApp University", had shared a video of fireworks dotting the sky on Diwali on Monday. "Happy Diwali MiLords," read a post on the handle.
The hashtag 'DhuaHuaKejriwal' was used by many on Twitter to share videos of defying of the firecracker ban.
Rishi Rajput, whose Twitter bio reads "nationalist, BJP workers", shared a video of bursting of fireworks and said, "Thank You Delhi for showing your courage to son of Aurangzeb."
Rosy, whose Twitter bio says that she is a lawyer, shared the video of a dog watching fireworks.
"Sanghi Dog who loves crackers and enjoys watching them bl?st #DhuaHuaKejriwal," she said in a tweet.
BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga shared on social media several videos of people defying the firecracker ban on Diwali to take a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party government.
Bagga, among several videos, shared on Twitter clips of a boy and some other people bursting firecrackers. He used the hashtag 'DhuaHuaKejriwal'.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said the national capital saw a 30 per cent drop in incidents of bursting of firecrackers on Diwali this year as against last year and recorded its best air quality for the day after the festival in five years
The air quality index (AQI) stood at 323 on Tuesday (the day after Diwali) as compared to 462 last year, which means the "air pollution declined by over 30 per cent", he said.
The minister said the AQI on the day after Diwali stood at 390 in 2018, 368 in 2019 and 435 in 2020.
"People of Delhi were very thoughtful on Diwali this year and I want to thank them. Today, the pollution level is the lowest in five years," Rai told reporters.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
According to forecasting agencies, the air quality in Delhi on the morning after Diwali was recorded in the ''very poor'' category but the situation was relatively better than previous years due to favourable meteorological conditions which diluted the effect of firecrackers and stubble burning.
The city is set to record its best air quality for the day after Diwali since 2015 on Tuesday, they said.
No Judges, Politicians, Dogs or Insects were harmed during the making of this video...
— Puneet Bansal (@puneetbansal128) October 24, 2022
Celebrated Diwali as it should be!!🖕🖕#DhuaHuaKejriwal #Diwali pic.twitter.com/WXX1ll6pWZ
Happy Diwali MiLords pic.twitter.com/8zgdx1DVXA
— Eminent Woke (@WokePandemic) October 24, 2022
Thank You Delhi for showing your courage to son of Aurangzeb #DhuaHuaKejriwal pic.twitter.com/3k32zxCHSF
— गौरव 🇮🇳 (@gauravk0211) October 25, 2022
Sanghi Dog who loves crackers and enjoys watching them bIаst 🚀🚀#DhuaHuaKejriwal pic.twitter.com/t8thdR1nMn
— Rosy (@rose_k01) October 24, 2022
जब जब सरकारें और न्यायतंत्र मुगल - तुगलकी फरमान जारी करेगा, आम जनता फिर ऐसे ही जवाब देगी।
— 𝔰𝔞𝔤𝔢 2.0 (@speaking_sage) October 24, 2022
सारे प्रदूषण का ठीकरा हिंदू त्योहारों पर फोड़ने से पहले अपने गिरेबान में झांक के देखना चाहिए की प्रदूषण की असली जड़ कहां है।#शुभ_दिवाली https://t.co/0wO8iFAvSN
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Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump has suspended “Project Freedom,” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming progress in negotiations with Iran toward an agreement to end the war.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.”
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump said.
Project Freedom was launched on Monday to escort ships, stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, out to safety. Trump had announced the operation on Sunday and the US Central Command began implementing it the next day.
However, the Project led to friction in the vicinity of the narrow seaway, a key route for transporting one-fifth of the global oil supplies, with the UAE claiming that its ships were attacked by Iran. The US also claimed to have destroyed several Iranian small boats.
Trump’s statement on Truth Social came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Operation Epic Fury, launched on February 28, had concluded as its objectives have been achieved.
"Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What @POTUS would prefer is a deal... that is, so far, not the route that Iran has chosen," Rubio told a press conference at the White House on Tuesday.
On Project Freedom, Rubio said the goal was to rescue almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries who were trapped inside the Persian Gulf and left for dead by the Iranian regime.
"This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple: there’s no shooting unless we're shot at first. We’re not attacking them, but if they're attacking us or they’re attacking a ship, you need to respond to that," Rubio said.
