Ahmedabad, May 9: The Gujarat government has imposed a statewide ban on the use of firecrackers and drones at all public and private events until May 15. The move comes amid heightened national security concerns following recent cross-border hostilities.
Announcing the ban on social media, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi urged public cooperation. “No firecrackers or drones will be allowed in any functions or events until the 15th of this month. Kindly cooperate and follow the guidelines,” he posted on X.
The precautionary measure follows a high-level security review held earlier in the day by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at South Block, New Delhi, in the wake of a foiled large-scale drone attack by Pakistan on May 8.
Top military officials, including Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, and Defence Secretary RK Singh, participated in the meeting.
The recent escalation is linked to Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike by Indian forces targeting nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
On the intervening night of May 8–9, Indian forces successfully repelled multiple drone incursions and ceasefire violations along the western border and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army stated that a "befitting reply" was given and reaffirmed its commitment to defending national sovereignty.
Defence officials credited the successful response to India’s indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile defence system, which has been deployed by both the Army and Air Force along the Pakistan border.
