Chhath ban at Yamuna banks was imposed by BJP through DDMA: Saurabh Bharadwaj

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi president, Saurabh Bharadwaj has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “spreading misinformation” over Chhath Puja celebrations on the banks of the Yamuna, asserting that the ban on festivities was imposed by the BJP-led Lieutenant Governor’s Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and the High Court, not the Arvind Kejriwal government.

Bharadwaj stated that the Arvind Kejriwal government had always been in favour of permitting Chhath on the Yamuna banks, just as Arvind Kejriwal had sought extensions for Ramleela and Durga Puja until midnight, only to be denied by the BJP-led Delhi Police.

He added that, now that the BJP is in power, all permissions are being freely granted, exposing its double standards.

During a press conference, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj expressed astonishment at the BJP government’s attempts to twist facts. “It is deeply shameful that someone holding the high office of Chief Minister can stoop so low as to spread such blatant lies. The BJP government is now granting permissions and claiming credit, while earlier it was the Delhi Police, under the Centre, that had blocked them.”

The AAP Delhi unit chief noted, “Arvind Kejriwal had repeatedly demanded extensions for Ramleela and Durga Puja timings till midnight, but his requests were rejected then. The Chief Minister is also lying when he says he attended Durga Puja for the first time Arvind Kejriwal has participated in Durga Puja on several occasions in the past.”

Bharadwaj also pointed out that restrictions on firecrackers and Chhath Puja had existed only because of court orders. “The BJP is now taking advantage of the same orders, twisting them for its own narrative,” he added.

On Yamuna cleaning, Saurabh Bharadwaj recalled how BJP leaders had themselves maligned the river.

“Earlier, Parvesh Verma used to call the foam rising in the Yamuna poisonous and would argue with officials. But now, their government plans to spray chemicals into the Yamuna to eliminate the so-called poison. For five years, the BJP misled the people of Delhi, indulged in theatrics, and is now busy defaming the previous government instead of solving real public problems,” he said.

Adding to this, AAP MLA from Burari, Sanjeev Jha, highlighted the BJP’s duplicity over Chhath Puja.

“Arvind Kejriwal and AAP MLAs had written several letters to the LG demanding permission for Chhath Puja on the Yamuna, but our requests were denied. The BJP government is now granting the same permission and shamelessly taking credit. Every year, I wrote to the LG during Chhath, either requesting cancellation of restrictions or suggesting alternate solutions to ensure that celebrations on the Yamuna could continue. But back then, AAP’s voice was ignored, Chhath on the Yamuna was blocked, and now the BJP is giving these permissions only to defame the previous government,” Jha added. (ANI)