Cracker Ban Yay or Nay? Tharoor & Bhagat Battle it Out on Twitter

Chetan Bhagat seemed very keen on bringing in a religious angle to the ruling.

Chetan Bhagat

(Source: Reuters/Altered by The Quint)

Author Chetan Bhagat took to Twitter on 9 October to criticise the Supreme Court’s move to uphold a ban on fireworks in Delhi-NCR till 1 November.

He said that bursting firecrackers was a traditional part of Diwali and compared it to decorating Christmas trees, or sacrificing goats during Eid.

In fact, he seemed very keen on bringing in a religious angle to the ruling.

In response, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted that banning firecrackers is not a bad decision because they are an unholy add-on to the festival.

In turn, Bhagat demanded to know how someone could call the practice unholy.

Twitterati Lash Out at Bhagat

However, Tharoor wasn’t the only one who questioned Bhagat’s stance on cracker ban. Several Twitter users called Bhagat out for missing the point.

Bhagat also seemed concerned about children, who he felt would be unable to enjoy Diwali without fuljharis.

In his defense of firecrackers, he said that imposing a ban is the wrong way to go about it.

Responding to the severe backlash on Twitter, Bhagat, however, stood his ground and said he had the right to express his opinion.

What do you think of Bhagat’s rant? Let us know in the comments, or better still, head over to Twitter, and let the bestselling author know your thoughts.

(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT in partnership with #MyRightToBreathe to find a solution to pollution. Send in your suggestions to [e-mail] or WhatsApp @ [phone])