NEW DELHI: The AAP-led Delhi government is talking to experts on finding a way to celebrate Chhath Puja in the usual manner, while reducing the threat of the spread of Covid-19. The AAP and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) have been at loggerheads on the issue of celebrating the annual festival.
“The Delhi government is discussing with experts in trying to find a way to ensure that people get the feel and mood of the Chhath Puja and at the same time they remain protected from the pandemic,” said AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj.
The AAP accused the BJP of politicising the issue after BJP MP Manoj Tiwari stated that his party condemned the move of the Delhi government. Tiwari said that the BJP workers would ensure that the festival was publicly celebrated while following all the Covid-19 norms.
“The civic bodies will ensure that the festival is celebrated in a nice way and we will register a strong protest against the order of Kejriwal led government which is anti-chhath” said Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta along with Tiwari.
Politics over Chhaht Puja has taken the front seat in the national capital since the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) banned public celebration of the event.
The festival is celebrated by people of Purvanchali descent residing in Delhi. Over the last two decades, their numbers have grown and made them a very important vote bank which no party can ignore.
“It is a habit of the BJP to politicise such matters of grave concern. It doesn’t behoove Manoj Tiwari to make irresponsible statements. Even because of just a single person if we see a Covid boom, then who is going to be responsible?” said Bhardwaj in response. Tiwari, an MP, has also started a ‘Rath Yatra’ to take the opinion of Purvanchalis.