New Delhi: The Chhath Puja festival, on Thursday, turned into a political battlefield between AAP and BJP leaders over setting up of a temporary ghat in a park in South Delhi’s Kalkaji area. While senior AAP leaders wanted to set up the ghat inside a well-maintained park, local residents backed by BJP councillor Subhash Bhadana wanted them to set it up inside an adjoining park.
AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, transport minister Kailash Gahlot, party MLAs Saurabh Bhardwaj, Sanjeev Jha, and Somnath Bharti; and party leader Dilip Pandey arrived at Ambedkar Park and staged a sit-in protest demanding that the puja ghat be constructed there.
Mr Bhadana also staged a dharna at the park with area residents raising slogans against AAP. The area residents were in favour of constructing the puja ghat at a nearby park. They said that each year the ghat is being set up in that particular park.
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari told this newspaper that local AAP MLAs were trying to construct the puja ghat without seeking prior permission from the competent authority. He added that if they were serious about the issue, they should have sought the requisite permission well on time.
“AAP and its leaders are trying to create a clash between the Poorvanchalis and non-Poorvanchalis by playing with the sentiments of people. But BJP will not allow them to play politics over Chhath,” he said.
Chhath Puja is an important festival of Poorvanchalis, who play a critical role in deciding the fate of about 20-odd seats in the Delhi Assembly.
Condemning the action of the AAP leaders, BJP Lok Sabha member Meenakshi Lekhi said that her party and the Municipal Corporations prepare Chhath ghats so that worshippers do not face any problem.
“BJP has always helped prepare Chhath ghats and never created any hindrance. I have doubts that AAP workers may create dispute at Chhath ghats in various areas of Delhi to vitiate the atmosphere,” she added.
Meanwhile, puja ghats in the national capital are being spruced up for festivities with the civic bodies also setting up mobile dispensaries and toilets for devotees.
The four-day long Chhath festival began on Thursday. On the last two days, devotees perform rituals and offer evening and morning “arghyas” (offerings) to the Sun god by taking a dip in the river or other water bodies.
