NEW DELHI: BJP MP Chintamani Malviya on Tuesday raised questions on the Supreme Court's order imposing restrictions on firecrackers, including an 8 pm to 10 pm window for bursting them during Diwali. Terming the top court's checks as unacceptable, Malviya, who represents the Lok Sabha from Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, said such restrictions didn't exist even during the Mughal era. He said the religious traditions and festivals are followed as per the Hindu calendar and time limits cannot be imposed on these occasions. "I will burn crackers after my puja ends," he said.


"Our religious traditions and festivals are followed by the Hindu calendar. I will burst crackers only when I finish puja, we can't set time limits on festivals, such restrictions were not even in Mughal times. It's unacceptable," ANI quoted Malviya as saying.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to put a ban on firecrackers but imposed certain restrictions on the use and sale of the same. The top court permitted the sale and manufacture of low emission "green" firecrackers countrywide and fixed a two-hour time period from 8 pm to 10 pm for bursting them on Diwali and between 11.55 pm to 12.30 am on Christmas and New Year.


The court said that all states would make endeavour to explore the feasibility of community firecracker show and would adhere to the time limit during which firecrackers could be burst. This would be applicable throughout India.

The ban on the bursting of firecrackers not conforming to green norms would be in force throughout the year. These conditions would also be applicable to marriage festivities. On October 9 last year, the top court temporarily banned the sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali in the Delhi-NCR region.

(With inputs from agencies)