LUCKNOW – Speaking at a government event in Lucknow on Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made it clear he has no regrets about how the state celebrated Diwali, even as air quality across north India took a beating.
The event was an appointment-letter distribution ceremony, but the chief minister used part of his speech to address the pollution debate that followed the festival. He said some people were blaming Diwali for the foul air, and he questioned why that should bother anyone, since the pollution would clear in time.
Adityanath accused his critics of selective outrage. In his telling, people who have damaged public systems through corruption are rarely challenged, yet a single day of festive fireworks suddenly draws loud concern about the environment. He said these critics stay silent when real wrongdoing happens but remember pollution as soon as a festival arrives.
He also pointed out that his government had chosen not to restrict firecrackers this year, so that people could enjoy the festival without worry. According to him, people took full advantage and celebrated with plenty of crackers. He added that he had joined in the fireworks himself in Ayodhya.
The remarks land at a sensitive moment. Delhi, the wider National Capital Region and parts of western Uttar Pradesh have been struggling with air quality rated poor to very poor in the days since Diwali, which fell on November 8. Delhi’s average AQI reached 376 on the day of the festival, reportedly its worst Diwali reading in five years. Several cities in UP’s NCR belt also logged high numbers.
Reaction online has split sharply. Supporters say the chief minister is standing up for religious and cultural traditions and rightly calling out what they see as double standards. Critics argue that he is playing down a genuine public health emergency at a time when residents are breathing toxic air, with children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions most at risk.
The contrast with Delhi is hard to miss. While UP has taken a hands-off approach, authorities in the capital operated under court-mandated rules that limited fireworks to green crackers and set specific time windows for bursting them. Adityanath’s comments suggest his government has no plans to move toward that model.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=RtToJsBhYBatUrym&v=mOuYNSdhjHA&feature=youtu.be
