A huge war of words erupted on Saturday between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi over the dispute over the establishment of Chhath Puja ghats in Delhi’s Greater Kailash for the widely celebrated Purvanchali festival.
AAP leaders have accused the BJP of obstructing local efforts to set up a ghat at a park run by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in Chirag Delhi. In response, the BJP leveled similar allegations against the AAP, complaining that the ruling party was blocking the establishment of the Chhath ghat.
BJP leader Suraj Chauhan used to organize Chhath Puja at this place every year, and the preparations were scheduled to start after getting permission from the DDA. However, AAP workers also tried to perform Chhath Puja at the same place and got permission from the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), which led to a clash between the two parties.
With tensions running high and leaders from both sides accusing each other, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi slammed the BJP for indulging in “cheap politics”. He said, “BJP despises the people of Purvanchal. Their political tactics have gone to the extent of closing the Chhath Ghat in Greater Kailash through DDA. Such disgusting politics regarding Chhath, a revered religious festival, will not be tolerated, and the BJP will face the consequences”.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP leader and Urban Development Minister, who also serves as the Greater Kailash local MLA, visited the area to hold a sit-in protest. He alleged that the “BJP-controlled DDA” had prevented the residents of Purvanchali from establishing the ghat, saying that the BJP had forced the DDA to stop its construction and had allowed the Delhi Police to close the eight-year-old Chhath Puja site.
Bharadwaj also accused the BJP of being anti-Dalit, saying, “The Dalit community has used this ‘Bhim Pulia’ road for the last 300 years. However, last month, the BJP’s DDA blocked this road, preventing people from celebrate Chhath Puja because of its anti-Dalit and anti-Purvanchali nature. Why are they doing this?”
A DDA official informed news agency PTI that a 6,000-square-meter area at Satpula Lake has already been designated for Chhath Puja.
Countering AAP’s claims, BJP leader Shikha Rai accused a group of locals who came to Satpula DDA Park to clean the polluted area of ​​being prevented from doing so by “Bharadwaj’s men”.
He said, “AAP workers issued threats and pressured residents and BJP members to leave.” Rai added that in recent years, AAP workers occupied the designated area days before the festival and imposed oppressive conditions on its use.
The Purvanchalis, who are Bhojpuri-speaking people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, represent an important voting base in Delhi, constituting 30 to 40 percent of the city’s estimated 1.5 crore voters.
Tune in
Source link