Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday lent support to the bursting of firecrackers during Diwali celebrations and also called out the political opponents over ‘meltdown’ on its impact on pollution levels.

“If the people set off fireworks, many raised an alarm over air pollution. If it has happened, it will also dissipate,” the Chief Minister said, addressing the audience.

Calling out Opposition’s track record, Chief Minister Adityanath questioned as to why similar concern was not raised against those who “polluted the entire system with their misdeeds”.

The Chief Minister also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Uttar Pradesh government had decided against imposing any restrictions or prohibitions, so that people could celebrate the festival “wholeheartedly” even if it led to some rise in air pollution.

“We decided not to impose any prohibitions. I, too, was in the middle of fireworks in Ayodhya,” he remarked.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s endorsement of firecrackers for Diwali celebrations came during his address at an appointment letter distribution program, where he handed over letters to more than 1,000 newly recruited junior assistants in the Revenue department.

The Chief Minister’s comments came amid the raging national debate over the need and urgency to ban firecrackers for making the cities livable.

He compared the criticism against one day of celebrations to what he termed “silence over systemic wrongdoing”.

Slamming the previous dispensations, Chief Minister Adityanath said that before the BJP government formation in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, riots would break out beforehand even before the onstart of festivals like Holi, Diwali, Dussehra, Janmashtami, Shivratri, Christmas, Eid, Guru Purab, or Makar Sankranti.

He also said that ‘Munna Bhais’ operated in the government recruitment system, before 2017.

“Before 2017, ‘Munna Bhais’ were operating in the government and the recruitment process. One person would appear for the examination, while someone else would receive the appointment letter. Several such appointments took place before 2017,” the Chief Minister claimed.

Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, in a scathing critique of the BJP-led dispensation, described the demonetisation (note ban) as the “most corrupt decision in the world’s history” and warned that this will prove to be a “vote ban” for the ruling party in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Akhilesh Yadav said that the country’s economy suffered a death blow due to the note ban, imposed by the Narendra Modi government in 2016, and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) witnessed the worst setback.

He alleged that demonetisation failed to achieve its stated objectives, hurt small businesses and MSMEs, and damaged the country’s banking system.

Notably, the Central government had brought demonetisation of high-value currency notes, effective from November 8, 2016, for reining in rampant tax evasion and curbing the influence of black money.

Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the demonetisation will lead to a ‘vote ban’ for the BJP, asserting that the electoral battle in Uttar Pradesh would not be an ’80-20′ or ’20-80′ contest, rather, it would be ’95-5′ now, implying that the BJP would be completely wiped out.

He also took a ‘Khazanchi’ dig at the BJP, stating that the boy born during demonetisation has now turned ten years old, yet the BJP never once celebrated his birthday.

“The BJP should now ‘adopt’ him—though not in the same way its leaders ‘adopted’ villages. To this day, it is the Samajwadi family that continues to look after Khazanchi and his education,” he remarked.

Calling out the economic failures under the present government, he said that BJP leaders talk about 2047 but decisions like demonetisation have actually set the country’s economy back, much to what it looks like 1947. He also challenged the BJP leadership for an open debate on the issue.

The SP President targeted the Yogi Adityanath government over the state’s law and order situation, asserting that corruption in Uttar Pradesh has reached its peak and cited instances like Hathras and others to question the law and order situation in the state.

He further claimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds in favour of the Samajwadi Party. He reiterated that the BJP will face a crushing defeat in the upcoming elections and that the state’s political landscape is set to change.

Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured in a terrorist attack in J&K Kulgam district on Wednesday, and joint forces have swung into action and surrounded the area to trace the assailants.

Official sources said two motorcycle-borne terrorists opened fire at a CRPF party in Kulgam district around 2.15 p.m. and fled from the spot immediately after firing at the security personnel.

The incident took place in the Akhran area near Mir Bazar in Kulgam. Panic gripped the area in the wake of the terrorist firing. A general alert has been sounded across the district and adjacent areas to trace the terrorists.

“The injured CRPF jawans were shifted to Anantnag Medical College Hospital for treatment. They belong to the 46th Battalion of the CRPF,” an official said.

“The area has been cordoned off for searches by the army, CRPF and the J&K Police,” an official source said.

Senior army, CRPF and J&K Police have reached the spot to supervise the operation. Further details are awaited.

As parts of Kulgam district such as Mir Bazar, Qazigund, and Shamsipora lie near key transit corridors connecting the Kashmir Valley to Jammu, road-opening parties and checkpoints (nakas) are sometimes targeted in hit-and-run firing or grenade attacks by the terrorists.

Upper reaches and forested belts of Kulgam district like Akhal have periodically served as terrorist hideouts, leading to extended joint operations involving the J&K Police, Army’s Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF, and Para Commandos.

On July 31, terrorists killed two labourers in the Kelam area of Kulgam district, and that was the last terrorist attack in the district till today.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah gave Rs 10 lakh ex gratia to next of kin of each killed labourer in the Kelam terror attack, while the administration gave Rs 6 lakh ex gratia relief to the famili–es.