The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has made it clear that it will fully comply with any Supreme Court ruling on the firecracker ban this Diwali. Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that the party welcomes every decision from the Court regarding the use of firecrackers. He recalled that during the AAP government, all Supreme Court orders—whether on Chhath Puja celebrations along the Yamuna or on Diwali firecrackers—were strictly followed. “If the Court decides that firecrackers should be allowed despite pollution, we will abide by it without hesitation,” he added, sending a direct message to the BJP, which has been quick to claim credit on the issue.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said that during the AAP government in Delhi, matters such as celebrating Chhath Puja on the Yamuna banks or bursting crackers on Diwali were always guided by the court’s directions. “At that time, the court had said that Chhath Puja should not be performed on the Yamuna banks, and we complied. When the court said that crackers should not be burst on Diwali, we followed that too. Now if the court says that no matter how dirty the Yamuna is, Chhath should be celebrated on its banks, we will say it should be. If the court says that no matter how much pollution there is, crackers should be burst on Diwali, we will fully agree. We have no objection to Chhath celebrations on the Yamuna or bursting crackers on Diwali — we will do exactly as the court directs,” said Saurabh Bharadwaj.
The AAP Delhi unit chief further said, “A judge of a court once said that dogs should be tied in one place, and the government agreed to do so. Later, the same judge said, based on legal texts, that the dogs should be released — and the government complied again. So, all of this is in the hands of the courts.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj went on to say that Supreme Court Chief Justice B.R. Gavai is being accused by some of being ‘anti-Sanatan’, even though he himself recently questioned why the ban on crackers applies only to Delhi. “Justice B.R. Gavai clearly stated that if there is to be a ban on crackers, it should be nationwide, otherwise not in Delhi either. The Chief Justice has already indicated that the ban on crackers in Delhi might be lifted. Despite this, BJP trolls are branding him ‘anti-Sanatan’. If support or opposition to Sanatan is to be defined based on the cracker ban, then the Chief Justice — who is about to lift the ban — is actually on their side,” said Saurabh Bharadwaj.
He added that the BJP government’s actions regarding the removal of the cracker ban are mere formalities aimed at avoiding political debate. “Why was it that during the AAP government, Durga Puja and Ramlila were allowed only until 10 PM? Because the Delhi Police, under BJP’s control, refused permission for these events to continue till midnight. Now that BJP itself is in power in Delhi, its own police has allowed celebrations till 12 AM, and BJP is taking credit for it. It is the same BJP which earlier imposed the restriction and is now claiming credit for lifting it,” he said.
The AAP Delhi unit chief also noted that BJP has repeatedly taken credit for reversing its own harmful policies. “BJP is doing the same with GST — they increased the rates and are now taking credit for reducing them,” said Saurabh Bharadwaj.
