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AAP accuses BJP of using police and DDA to stop Purvanchalis from celebrating Chhath

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AAP accuses BJP of using police and DDA to stop Purvanchalis from celebrating Chhath

Latest update:

AAP leader Somnath Bharti accused the BJP of not allowing devotees from Hauz Khas village to celebrate the festival in the park where it has been celebrated for years.

A devotee performs rituals on the banks of the Yamuna River as toxic foam floats during the start of the 4-day Chhath Puja festival at Kalindi Kunj in New Delhi. (photo by PTI)

A devotee performs rituals on the banks of the Yamuna River as toxic foam floats during the start of the 4-day Chhath Puja festival at Kalindi Kunj in New Delhi. (photo by PTI)

Senior AAP leader Somnath Bharti on Thursday accused the BJP of using the police and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to stop Purvanchalis from celebrating Chhath Puja in the national capital.

Addressing a press conference, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Malviya Nagar accused the BJP of not allowing devotees from Hauz Khas village to celebrate the festival in the park where it has been celebrated for years.

“The anti-Purvanchali face of the BJP was exposed after it, with the help of the police and the MLA, stopped the residents of Hauz Khas village from celebrating Chhath at the place where it was being celebrated for many years,” Bharti said.

There was no immediate reaction from the saffron camp to Bharti’s allegations.

The AAP leader also said that the BJP has filed a case against the devotees citing that the place where Chhath celebrations were held is a protected forest area.

“The BJP not only stopped people from celebrating the festival but also filed a case against them citing that the park is part of a protected forest area,” Bharti said.

The allegations follow previous clashes between the AAP and the BJP over Chhath Ghats preparations.

Chhath Puja has gained prominence in the national capital as it is an important event for the Purvanchali community in Delhi, which consists of Bhojpuri-speaking people from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

The community constitutes nearly 30-40 per cent of voters in Delhi, where Assembly elections will be held early next year.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news feed – PTI)

India News AAP accuses BJP of using police and DDA to stop Purvanchalis from celebrating Chhath