Ban on Hookah Bars in Delhi – AAP wakes up from slumber; only to take credit!

Yesterday, a tweet by Health Minister of Delhi govt. Satyendra Jain caught my attention. Sharing it here –

 I want to bring it to people’s notice that this tweet comes on October 31st while Health Ministry Government of India had already issues an order banning Hookah smoking on May 23, 2016.

After that order, I met LG Delhi to get this order of the GOI implemented in Delhi and on his orders, department of State Tobacco Control issued an order on July 21, 2017 banning Hookah bars in Delhi. Along with this new order issued at instance of LG, we  handed over copies of this order to the SHOs of Delhi to get this order implemented and get Hookah Bars closed in the National Capital.

For last 4 months, I have approached NGT to get Hookah bars closed in Delhi and pursued case there. I called ‘Attention Motion’ on this issue three times in Delhi Vidhan Sabha but Speaker denied permission on the issue.
But thanks to the support of dignitaries including Union Health Minister Mr. Harshvardhan, Mr. KTS Tulsi, General JJ Singh, Mr. Manjit Singh GK President DSGMC, Mr. Manoj Tiwari, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Mr. Vijayendra Gupta and general public, the Hookah Bars in Delhi are banned totally.

But now… the AAP government has woken up from deep slumber only to claim that it has banned Hookah Bars. I ask Health Minister Mr. Satyendra Jain on which order he had issued and when to ban these Hookah Bars ?

BJP MP Mr. Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma addressed a Press conference to clarify that AAP government Delhi has played no role in ban imposed on Hookah Bars in Delhi

People can clearly see that AAP leadership has encouraged Hookah bars in Delhi with their silence in last two and a half years. It is high time Mr Arvind Kejriwal stop wasting time and resources in dramebaazi… they have a full list of promises remaining unfulfilled. Public would never forgive their carelessness!

Ban on Hookah Bars in Delhi – People are the real winners!

Finally I did what I promised – my efforts to close hookah bars in national capital have borne fruit and Delhi State Tobacco Control (DSTBC), following the notification from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare dated 23 May, 2017 which completely prohibits use of hookah even in smoking zones, has ordered closure of all Hookah bars in Delhi.

Delhi State Tabacco Control vide F.No. 7(6)/STCC/DHS/14-15/6796 dated 21.07.2017 has completely prohibited the use of Hookah in Delhi. Consequently, there will be no hookah bars in Delhi.

In last four months, we have been trying to spread awareness about Hookah smoking which causes potential health effects on hookah smokers particularly among the young boys and girls. The fact that hookah contains harmful chemicals including carbon monoxide, metals and cancer causing chemicals, tar etc. makes it lethal for the younger lot. Public too showed their disapproval for such Hookah Bars in Delhi. Especially the parents of youngsters came out in large number to support my cause because they were getting worried seeing the drug-inclination of their young ones graduating from Hookah to smoking and then to drugs!

I took up this matter with Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble LG Delhi and even submitted evidence to National Green Tribunal to get these Hookah bars closed with a single aim of saving the youth of the Delhi. I submitted strong credible evidence to National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairman on disastrous effect of hookah smoking on environment.

I am thankful to all the people of Delhi particularly those who not only directly supported the cause but also became part of the campaign from time to time. The latest order of the DSTBC has made it clear that there will be no Hookah Bar allowed to operate in Delhi. As per another order of the Health Ministry, no Hookah material can be served even in the service cabins established for smoking.

I am now warning the Hookah Bar owners that if they don’t obey orders on closure of these bars, then we will be forced to physically shut down these bars in order to save the youth of the Delhi. Nothing matters more to me than the future of our youth and I will do all that I can to save the youth of Delhi from Hookah menace.

I thank Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble LG Delhi Anil Baijal Ji, Maheish Girri Ji, KTS Tulji Ji and other dignitaries who understood the gravity of the problem and extended their support to ban Hookah bars in National Capital.

Sabse Bada ‘Promise-breaker’ kaun?

Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi!

It is difficult to begin the list; should we talk about the promise made by CM Kejriwal before Delhi elections when he shouted on the top of his voice promising people 15 lakh CCTV Cameras in Delhi and 8 lakh government jobs to youth?  The promise of Free WiFi in Delhi or last mile connectivity, or ensuring women’s safety on buses by deploying marshals or opening of new schools and colleges… name any promise and it appears unfulfilled.

What disgusts me the most is Mr Kejriwal’s repeated and rhetoric statements on clean and transparent governance! Look at the profile of tainted minister Satyender Jain in his cabinet. Mr Jain has been handling important portfolios like Health, Industries, Home, Public Work Department, Power, Urban Development and Transport etc. as a minister. And all these departments are messed up badly for which the price is being paid by Delhi people.

Not only this, Mr Jain has been linked in Hawala scams for which Karawal MLA Kapil Mishra has even handed over the ‘evidence’ against Satyendra Jain to the Anti-Corruption Branch. But Mr Kejriwal hasn’t questioned or doubted Mr Jain even once! Simply because, Kejriwal’s co-brother Surendra Bansal has also been one of the beneficiaries in one of the PWD scams done by Satyendra Jain.

Kejriwal has fared badly in providing civic amenities to people. He promised to regularise the unauthorised colonies in Delhi in a year and hand the ownership rights over to the occupants. But, nothing has happened. People are not even getting basic civic amenities. Even today, many people have complained to Aaj Tak team that they are getting dirty water supply in their home. Thousands of households everyday complain of water shortage.

Arvind Kejriwal broke the promise of regularizing guest teachers. Rather made the issue a political one blaming the center. The truth is the Bill to regularize Guest teachers in Delhi does not talk of financial accountability of Delhi government. So how did AAP govt plan to regularize guest teachers without assuming financial responsibility? Another lip-service by Kejriwal, nothing else.

And the worst part – Instead of working for public education or health, Kejriwal government gave 399 licences for liquor vendors in 371 working days. There is a tremendous growth in the number of Hookah Bars in Delhi ever since Kejriwal came to power. Was this one of his promises?

So now every time Kejriwal says, ‘I will make Delhi London’… I wish to tell him that please make it the Delhi we all deserve. We don’t want it to be like London!

And somebody needs to tell him – Promise breakers get the worst punishment from the people.

#Justice4Gurpreet – Calling the youth of Delhi for this candle march

Some days, I feel ashamed to be a part of Delhi… because the city and its people behave so insensitively and so very irresponsibly. Look at the high and mighty like Rohit Krishna Mahanta who mowed down two young photography students! Mr Mahanta dashed his car into the motorcycle of Gurpreet Singh and his friend Maninder Singh. The reason – they had objected to Mahanta blowing cigarette smoke onto their faces!

Such cruelty followed by corruption!

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee would not let such injustice to happen!

We are demanding that the government should pay Rs1 crore as ex gratia to Gurpreet’s family. The officers who tried to hush up the case should be dismissed and the probe should be handed over to the CBI.

We are organizing a Candle March on September 23, today, starting from Gurdwara Mata Sundri Ji at 5:30 pm in the evening starting from Gurdwara Mata Sundri Ji. We also plan to gherao the Delhi police headquarters for their bias and corrupt attitude in favour of accused and his family.

We have also asked the Delhi Government to name its campaign for de-addiction in the name of Gurpreet.

I exhort the young boys and girls, the parents of teenagers and everyone who felt that Gurpreet was right in telling that drunk man not to blow cigarette smoke on to his face, to join in for the Candle march.

I seek support of every person who has suffered in the hands of rich brats and influential people who do not value a person’s life. It is now time to stand united for #Justice4Gurpreet. It is time to raise voice in favour of a common man.

 

Why this exhibition on ‘Ban on Hookah Bars in Delhi’

It was a rainy day in Delhi; even the weather failed to dampen the spirit of hundred of people who came to Connaught Place today morning to see the exhibition and support ban on Hookah Bars in national capital.

I have dedicated this exhibition to the young man Gurpreet Singh who lost his life after a murderous attack on him when he had resisted smoking on public places. I thank S. Manjit Singh GK for gracing the exhibition with his presence.

My motivation behind organizing this exhibition and raising my voice against Hookah bars is simple – these bars are a curse on  our society and are making the youth crime-prone leading them further towards drug addiction!

While interacting with the people, I was amazed that most of us do not even know that 1 session of Hookah smoking is equally dangerous as 100 cigarettes! No wonder, Hookah Bars are destroying the youth of national capital. I was forced to come out so loudly and emphatically against Hookah bars culture in Delhi because the Delhi government is in deep slumber and least bothered about the youth. This exhibition will spread the message of ill effects of smoking hookah and its main motive is to get enforced a complete ban on Hookah Bars in Delhi. Most worrisome aspect is that youngsters in the age group of 13-15 are worst hit by Hookah addiction and everyday more than a thousand people are falling in death trap because of tobacco or similar addiction.

An initiative has been taken now and I plan to continue it. I am thankful to hundreds of people who gathered on the occasion to support the action of seeking ban on these bars in national capital.  Many states including Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra have already imposed ban on Hookah bars in their states.

I am also thankful to opinion leaders like General JJ Singh, former chief of Indian Army, Sh. Manoj Tiwari, MP and President BJP Delhi, S. KTS Tulsi, Advocate and MP, Sh. Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, MP, Sh. Mahesh Giri MP, Sh. Vikramjit Singh Sahney Padma Shri and Ms. Anjana Om Kashyap national icon journalist who have come forward to support the campaign against Hookah bars in Delhi.

On the occasion, Arjuna awardee and Common Wealth Silver medalist Mr. Mandeep Jhangra also announced to support the cause.