"When someone celebrates a festival, people speak about pollution": Yogi Adityanath backs 'crackers celebration' on Diwali

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday defended the Diwali celebrations amid criticism over pollution, saying people who burst crackers should not be blamed while those who "polluted the entire system" with corruption go unquestioned.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday defended the Diwali celebrations amid criticism over pollution, saying people who burst crackers should not be blamed while those who "polluted the entire system" go unquestioned. He was speaking at an appointment letter distribution programme where he handed over letters to 1,146 newly recruited junior assistants. He also disbursed ₹215 crore in aid to 4,300 beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Kisan Durghatna Kalyan Yojana.

"You celebrated Diwali and several people are saying that it caused pollution. I said, 'Don't worry; pollution would be mitigated as well'. Nobody says anything to those who polluted the entire system with their corrupt misdeeds. But if the public burst crackers one day, it created pollution. If pollution happened, it would be mitigated as well. No problem. It is good that people celebrated Diwali with 'dhoom-dhadaka' and burst crackers. We decided not to impose any prohibitions. I, too, was in the middle of fireworks in Ayodhya. When someone celebrates a festival, people speak up about pollution, but not when someone does anything wrong." Attacking the previous governments, he said, "But this was not possible before 2017. Before 2017 whenever any festival arrived—whether it was Holi, Diwali, Vijayadashami, Janmashtami, Shivratri, Christmas, Eid, Guru Parv, or Makar Sankranti—riots would break out right before all of them."

Attacking previous governments on recruitment, CM Yogi said talent that did not get work matching its capability used to migrate. "When talent did not find suitable opportunities, it would migrate elsewhere. The youth of Uttar Pradesh contributed their hard work to the nation and the world, yet UP remained impoverished—simply because they could not secure honest employment within the state. Discrimination was rampant... A syndicate operated within the state and held complete control over these processes... Before 2017, 'Munna Bhai'-style figures were entrenched within the administration and the recruitment process itself. One person would take the examination, while someone else would secure the appointment... The administration itself was the very entity orchestrating these misdeeds! You might then turn to the courts, which would issue a stay order. Meanwhile, those responsible for these wrongs would pocket the illicit gains and stash them in foreign bank accounts. The youth of UP were being cheated from every direction... The dire consequence was that Uttar Pradesh fell into a state of utter disarray," he said (ANI)