Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti on Thursday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using the police and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to prevent Purvanchali residents from celebrating Chhath Puja at traditional sites in the national capital.
In a press conference, Bharti, an AAP MLA from Malviya Nagar, claimed the BJP is stopping devotees in Hauz Khas village from observing the festival at a park where it has been celebrated for years.
“The anti-Purvanchali face of the BJP has been exposed after it stopped people from the Hauz Khas village from celebrating Chhath at the place where it used to be held for many years by using the police and the DDA,” Bharti alleged.
No immediate response was available from the BJP on the accusations.
Bharti further alleged that BJP-led authorities filed an FIR against the devotees, stating that the park is part of protected forest land, a designation that restricts public gatherings. “The BJP has not only stopped the people from celebrating the festival, they have also filed an FIR against them citing that the park is part of a protected forest land,” he said.
The dispute follows ongoing clashes between the AAP and BJP over preparations at various Chhath Ghats. Chhath Puja holds significant importance for Delhi’s Purvanchali community, largely comprised of Bhojpuri-speaking people from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The Purvanchali community makes up nearly 30-40% of the electorate in Delhi, where Assembly elections are slated for early next year.