Who Is Stopping Chhat Puja? BJP and AAP at Loggerheads Over A Ghat in Delhi

New Delhi: Ahead of the Chhath Puja, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got engaged in a clash over the setting up of Chhath ghats in the city's south area. The clash erupted after Greater Kailash MLA and Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj went to the DDA park in Satpula Ground in Chirag Delhi went to the spot and alleged that the BJP-controlled DDA was stopping Purvanchali people from setting up the ghat.After this, the minister staged a sit-in protest at the spot and alleged that the BJP "coerced" the DDA to halt the construction of the Chhath ghat. He alleged that this step gave the Delhi Police to lock up Chirag Delhi's eight-year-old Chhath Puja site.

BJP द्वारा चिराग़ दिल्ली में पूर्वांचली भाई-बहनों को छठ मनाने से रोकने के ख़िलाफ़, पूर्वांचलियों की आवाज़ बुलंद करने छठ घाट पर पहुँचे AAP MP @SanjayAzadSln जी। pic.twitter.com/sJgJQX2Hod

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 3, 2024

In an X post, the AAP accused PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for stopping people from celebrating Chhath Puja. "Modi, Amit Shah and BJP are stopping our Chhath Puja, insulting our brothers and sisters from Purvanchal. BJP and the administration should listen carefully, let Chhath Puja happen or else Purvanchal brothers and sisters from all over Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand will gather here and celebrate Chhath Puja," the party said.

BJP द्वारा पूर्वांचली भाई-बहनों को छठ पर्व मनाने से रोकने के ख़िलाफ़ जमकर दहाड़े AAP राज्यसभा सांसद @SanjayAzadSln जी 🔥👇

“मोदी, अमित शाह और BJP हमारी छठ पूजा को रोक रहे हैं, पूर्वांचल के भाई-बहनों को अपमानित कर रहे हैं। BJP और प्रशासन कान खोलकर सुन लें, वो छठ पूजा होने दें… pic.twitter.com/JYwMMH8F80

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 3, 2024

Then came Chief Minister Atishi who slammed the saffron party. In a social media, the CM said that at the behest of the BJP the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), a central government agency, is not allowing the Chhath ghat to be set up, saying "such petty politics" would not be allowed, reported PTI.

BJP Hits BackThe saffron party hit back at Saurabh Bharadwaj and accused him and AAP workers of preventing the setting up of the Chhath ghat. The BJP claimed that the "anti-Hindu face" of the party led by Arvind Kejriwal has been exposed."The AAP workers issued threats and pressured the residents and BJP workers to leave," BJP leader Shikha Rai claimed, quoted PTI.

आम आदमी पार्टी के हिंदू विरोधी विधायक सौरभ भारद्वाज छठ पूजा होने से रोक रहे हैं@Virend_Sachdeva @BansuriSwaraj @BJP4Delhi pic.twitter.com/qyCYwFdNf5

— Shikha Rai (@shikharaibjp) November 2, 2024

The AAP and the BJP have been having a war of words ahead of next year's Delhi Assembly polls over several issues including air pollution and Chhath preparations.The famous Chhath festival is celebrated six days after Diwali during which, women pay obeisance to the Sun god by fasting and offering "arghya" of cow milk and Gangajal to the deity by stepping knee-deep into a water body.