After ban on firecrackers in Delhi, AAP to now burn 'effigies of Raavan made from garbage'

The Aam Aadmi Party on October 3 announced that it will burn effiggies of Raavan made from garbage at 3,500 locations across Delhi on October 4 to protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) failure to maintain cleanliness. 

Notably, this development comes weeks after a blanket ban was extended on the sale and use of firecrackers till January 1, 2023, to control air pollution in the national capital. 

Addressing a press conference, Rajinder Nagar MLA Durgesh Pathak said that workers of Arvind Kejriwal's party and supporters will also hold protests and demand that elections to the civic body be held at the earliest.

In Delhi, garbage has become a symbol of BJP's inefficiency & failure: AAP MLA

"Delhi is too dirty. Wherever you go, you will see garbage. While three garbage hills are already there, the BJP is gearing up to create 16 more garbage hills. In Delhi, garbage has become a symbol of the BJP's inefficiency and failure," Pathak said.

The MLA further stated, "In a symbolic protest, the AAP will burn the effigy of Raavan made of garbage at about 3,500 locations in Delhi tomorrow."

The erstwhile municipal corporations, which were ruled by BJP, were unified and named the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in May.

The announcement of symbolic protest comes after the Swachh Survekshan 2022 survey by the Union government placed the erstwhile North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) in the bottom 10 among 45 cities in the country.

In the annual cleanliness survey, the NDMC was placed 37th, the EDMC 34th and the SDMC 28th.

Firecrackers banned in Delhi till January 1, 2023

Last month, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) banned the sale of firecrackers till January 1, 2023. Moreover, the government also decided to ban online sales and delivery of firecrackers.

"In order to save people from the danger of pollution in Delhi, like last year this time also the production, storage, sale and use of all types of firecrackers are being completely banned so that people's lives can be saved," Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai had said.

Image: AP, ANI