Vying for credit: Parties use Chhath to woo voters
9 Nov 2013 5:05 AM IST
Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the national capital political parties have started competing hard to take credit for organising the Chhath Puja and in the process politicising the festival.
Chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday said that she has been asking the government of Haryana every year to release water for the celebration of Chhath Puja at various ghats across Delhi.
‘Haryana chief minister (Bhupinder Singh Hooda) on our request has agreed this time to release 400 cusecs of water for Delhi. Out of this 300 cusecs reached Wazirabad on Wednesday night,’ Dikshit said.
‘Adequate quantity of water is essential at the ghats to enable devotees celebrate the festival in the traditional manner,’ said a statement from the Delhi government.
The festival is likely to be celebrated by around 50 lakh migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in Delhi. The water released in the Yamuna river on Wednesday will be channelled to various Chhath ghats in Delhi after analysing the expected crowd and need of water at the various spots.
On the other hand, in a bid to woo migrants from Poorvanchal ahead of polls, BJP chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan has promised to start ‘Poorvanchal Mahotsav’ to coincide with Chhath Puja if his party is voted to power.
‘Such a festival would be organised for the first time in Delhi, which would start with Bhaiya Dooj and continue on the days of Nahaye-Khaye, Kharna, evening obeisance, morning obeisance and Parna (ending of fast),’ Vardhan said in a statement.
Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel has been demanding a gazetted holiday on the occasion and to make special arrangements for devotees on the occasion. Congress on the other hand has slammed the BJP for trying to politicise Chhath Puja for vote bank politics.
But even as political parties are trying to politicise the festival, they have been directed by the Election Commission to refrain from doing so. In order to ensure that the festival is celebrated in the true spirit and remains free from political influence, the electoral office has taken the whole arrangement of the festival in its own hands.
‘There is no need for any political party to take credit for Chhath Puja. As many as 210 vigilance squads have been constituted to keep a tab on the festival,’ said a Delhi Election Commission official. Cameramen will also take video footage of the various events.
Chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday said that she has been asking the government of Haryana every year to release water for the celebration of Chhath Puja at various ghats across Delhi.
‘Haryana chief minister (Bhupinder Singh Hooda) on our request has agreed this time to release 400 cusecs of water for Delhi. Out of this 300 cusecs reached Wazirabad on Wednesday night,’ Dikshit said.
‘Adequate quantity of water is essential at the ghats to enable devotees celebrate the festival in the traditional manner,’ said a statement from the Delhi government.
The festival is likely to be celebrated by around 50 lakh migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in Delhi. The water released in the Yamuna river on Wednesday will be channelled to various Chhath ghats in Delhi after analysing the expected crowd and need of water at the various spots.
On the other hand, in a bid to woo migrants from Poorvanchal ahead of polls, BJP chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan has promised to start ‘Poorvanchal Mahotsav’ to coincide with Chhath Puja if his party is voted to power.
‘Such a festival would be organised for the first time in Delhi, which would start with Bhaiya Dooj and continue on the days of Nahaye-Khaye, Kharna, evening obeisance, morning obeisance and Parna (ending of fast),’ Vardhan said in a statement.
Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel has been demanding a gazetted holiday on the occasion and to make special arrangements for devotees on the occasion. Congress on the other hand has slammed the BJP for trying to politicise Chhath Puja for vote bank politics.
But even as political parties are trying to politicise the festival, they have been directed by the Election Commission to refrain from doing so. In order to ensure that the festival is celebrated in the true spirit and remains free from political influence, the electoral office has taken the whole arrangement of the festival in its own hands.
‘There is no need for any political party to take credit for Chhath Puja. As many as 210 vigilance squads have been constituted to keep a tab on the festival,’ said a Delhi Election Commission official. Cameramen will also take video footage of the various events.
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