Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Praveen Khandelwal suggested that Bakrid be celebrated in an environment-friendly way to avoid “problems like pollution” faced by the general public. A clip of the same has been making rounds on social media.
Khandelwal is quoted as saying, “Everybody has their own traditions, but let’s not forget that pollution is a very big problem for us.”
The 64-year-old generational businessman goes on to add, “There is a lot of talk nowadays about Eco-Diwali, a lot of talk about Eco-Holi, so if we speak of Eco-Bakrid, I don’t think there is anything wrong in that.”
Khandelwal makes light of efforts over the last decade by the former AAP-led Delhi government that banned firecrackers and restricted their usage, as well as Central government initiatives such as Swachh Diwali and Eco-Friendly Holi by the ministry of earth sciences.
This comment was made in reference to Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar’s appeal to the Muslim community to “celebrate Bakrid in an eco-friendly manner by cutting a goat-shaped cake instead of killing an animal.” This statement was made in a video uploaded to the Loni MLA’s account on the social media platform X on June 2.
On June 1, Kishor had written a letter to the Ghaziabad police seeking a ban on animal slaughter and operations of meat shops near Hindon Airport, citing “bird strikes to aircraft and communal harmony issues.”
Khandelwal belongs to the Chandni Chowk constituency, preceded in the same by Dr Harsh Vardhan. The former Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) member is a generational businessman and the founder/secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).
This post was last modified on June 6, 2025 8:21 pm