BJP and AAP accuse each other of disrupting Chhath puja celebrations

New Delhi: Mukesh Suryan, SDMC Mayor has accused AAP leaders of disrupting SDMC's work towards Chhath celebrations. The civic body is spending approximately 41.60 lakhs or 40,000 for each ward to maintain ghats in their area.

Suryan accused AAP leaders of misleading people over the entire issue and trying to take credit for the work the civic body has been putting in. He said that AAP workers have illegally occupied a park in the Sagarpur area wherein a Chhath Ghat is being set up. He said "When we have been making arrangements for Chhath festival, AAP leaders have been playing politics over the

issue."

The mayor added that AAP is dragging the matter and is playing cheap politics in order to get attention. Stating "First they denied permission to celebrate the festival and when our leaders held a series of protests then they allowed for the same."

SDMC has been making arrangements for Chhath in its wards; they have issued orders regarding the maintenance, cleaning and fogging of all areas where the celebrations take place.

Responding to these allegations, SDMC leader of opposition and AAP leader Prem Chauhan told the Millennium Post that "Delhi Government is already doing Chhath celebrations, and all arrangements have been made with them. If the Mayor or MCD thinks they can do it better, then they should as well instead of just talking. We know who plays politics already in these matters."

Significantly, some AAP legislators also staged a protest on Sunday, accusing the BJP of stopping them from preparing a Chhath ghat at Dwarka.

AAP MLAs Sanjeev Jha and Vinay Mishra, who staged a protest in Dwarka demanding that a Chhath ghat be constructed there, alleged that the BJP was trying to obstruct Chhath Puja in the city.

"The BJP at many places in Delhi is stopping Purvanchalis from preparing Chhath ghats to obstruct the Chhath Puja. The AAP MLA and volunteers have come forward to construct Chhath ghat in Dwarka in response to this," tweeted Jha who is the AAP legislator from Burari.