DCP apologises for tweet on firecracker ban

Delhi's Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Devendra Arya has apologised for his comments in the social media criticising the Supreme Court's decision to ban sale and production of firecrackers that cause pollution.

"You can be jailed for bursting firecrackers on Diwali. Never thought that such a day would come. Is this my India that I am living in," the officer had tweeted.

Arya, who drew flak for questioning the top court, apologised later for the tweet terming it as "an inadvertent slip".

"It was a momentary inadvertent slip on my part. It does not reflect any opinion/view. I sincerely apologise for this inadvertent slip," he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

On October 23, the apex court in its guidelines said that only firecrackers with reduced emission (improved crackers) and green crackers and Safe Water and Air Sprinklers (SWAS) would be made and sold.

It had also passed an order allowing fireworks only from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali, and between 11:45 pm and 12:30 am during Christmas and New Year celebrations.