Now Reading: Bengal BJP MLA Papia Adhikari says firecrackers cure diseases
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Bengal BJP MLA Papia Adhikari says firecrackers cure diseases
The Story in Brief
West Bengal BJP MLA Papia Adhikari from Tollygunge claimed that bursting firecrackers can cure several diseases, as she inaugurated a Kali Puja in her constituency on Diwali. A firecracker burst in front of her as she began speaking, but she continued and said, ‘You will see that bursting of firecrackers will cure several diseases.’ She added that the chief minister had said firecrackers would be burst and asked people to follow police guidelines.
The remarks came days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari backed the bursting of firecrackers during Kali Puja and Diwali, while urging the use of green or eco-friendly crackers and adherence to noise pollution regulations. The comment drew attention amid rising air pollution concerns: Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index above 400 on Monday, in the ‘severe’ category, and Mumbai logged a ‘moderate’ AQI of 170.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Times Now leads with the controversy and uses the phrase ‘erupted a row’, framing the remarks as a shock. News9 Live provides the fuller context, the firecracker that burst mid-speech and the MLA’s invocation of the chief minister’s backing, making her statement seem less isolated. ABP Live adds the strongest contextual anchor: detailed air quality data for Delhi (AQI above 400) and Mumbai (AQI 170), linking the remark to measurable post-Diwali pollution. The variation is one of scope: the shorter reports omit the pollution backdrop that the longer version foregrounds. The uniform element across all three is that every outlet quotes the MLA’s key line verbatim. The balanced reading would note that her claim is placed in a wider health-environment debate that none of the outlets fully resolve.
Coverage: 3 sources, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (3): timesnownews.com (sensationalist), news9live.com (neutral report), abplive.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 9 November 2026: this story now draws on 3 sources.
