Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Tiwari has today moved the Supreme Court challenging the decision by the Delhi government to ban the sale, purchase, and use of firecrackers in the capital till January 2023.
Manoj Tiwari, who was earlier the former Delhi BJP president and Northeast Delhi Member of Parliament, has sought directions that permissible firecrackers be allowed.
An order was issued by the The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had on September 14, which stated that there will be a complete ban on manufacturing, storage, selling (including delivery through online marketing platforms) and bursting of all kinds of fire-crackers till January 1, 2023.
The petition was mentioned by Advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha before the Chief Justice Of India Uday Umesh Lalit for an urgent hearing.
The Bench led by CJI U.U Lalit have decided to hear the matter on October 10.
The plea by the leader took a social perspective of the issue and stated that the ban is arbitrary and will l hamper the livelihoods of many traders and people associated with packaging, selling, marketing of the aforesaid.
A Supreme Court decision from 2021 has been given to show to the court that a balance has to be struck instead of a blanket ban.
Another petition has also been filed before the High Court of Delhi which challenged the order of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
The plea filed was filed by the two firms which were involved in sale, purchase and storage of green crackers said that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee directions are contrary to judicial orders as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressly allowed sale and use of cracker in areas where air quality is ‘moderate’.
When the petition was heard by Justice Yashwant Varma on Wednesday, the Court asked the petitioner to find out whether the Supreme Court is dealing with a similar petition.