Diwali firecracker ban stays; pained at communal colour given to order: SC

Diwali firecracker ban: The court has not stopped the people from celebrating the Diwali festival

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to modify its October 9 order banning the sale of fire crackers in Delhi and NCR this Diwali and expressed anguish that its order was being given a communal twist.

"We are pained to hear that some people are giving the order a communal colour. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a very spiritual person in such matters," said Justice A.K. Sikri, who along with two other judges authored the October 9 ban.

Refusing to revisit the ban order, Justice Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan said: "We are not entering into any debate and none of the religious considerations had influenced our ban order.

"The court has not stopped the people from celebrating the Diwali festival."

The court said this as one of the petitioners said Diwali was not only celebrated by the Hindus but also by Jains and Sikhs.

On Monday, the Supreme Court in an effort to check pollution, slapped a temporary ban on the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR region during Diwali.

3 factors that have spoilt Delhi-NCR traders' festive mood

The Supreme Court had on Monday put a blanket ban on the sale of firecrackers till November 1 to check pollution.

The apex court's decision was, however, not welcomed by the firecracker traders.
 

Talking to ANI, a businessman said that they are already facing huge loss because of the demonetisation and the GST rollout and now after the apex court's decision, they have been compelled to close their shops.
 

"We paid 28 per cent GST on firecrackers, but after Supreme Court's order, we had to shut our shop," a Delhi-based businessman said.

Another trader said they don't have any other option than to face this problem after demonetisation and GST.

"Firstly we faced demonetisation then GST and now this. What can we do?" he asked

A three-judge bench restored apex court's November 2016 order banning sale of crackers in NCR and suspended its September 2017 order - which allowed limited sale but banned imports from other states.

In September's order, the apex court had modified its order and allowed limited sale of firecrackers but banned import from other states.