New Delhi [India] : Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) MP Parvesh Verma on Wednesday slammed the Delhi government for not allowing Chhath Puja celebrations at the ITO Ghat. His remarks came after Delhi Police asked the devotees to vacate the Yamuna Ghat. “People will come here for Puja and will see the failures of the Delhi government. That is why they have not given permission. Chhath Puja is being celebrated at thousands of spots across Delhi, but why not here at the ITO Ghat which is the oldest ghat in Delhi and comes under the Delhi government,” Verma said. “I urge everyone to come here and perform the Puja, we will take care of your security. I will not go from here till Puja is concluded,” he added. The issue over Chhath celebrations intensified after the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), in September, prohibited celebrations of Chhath Puja at public places due to the threat of COVID-19. And charges were traded between the BJP and AAP over the celebration of the festival. After the issue was raised by the BJP leaders, the DDMA in a meeting, on October 27, gave “partial” approval for holding Chhath Puja in the national capital. However, the political blame game has continued between BJP and AAP over the issue of cleanliness of ghats and pollution in the river as Union Minister Giriraj Singh slammed Delhi government over the toxic foam in the Yamuna. “The Delhi government should make proper arrangements for Chhath. Amid the hazardous situation of the Yamuna, the devotees observing fast will have to take a dip in the river today as well as tomorrow morning,” he pointed out. Manoj Tiwari targeted the Kejriwal government on November 8 on the cleanliness of ghats saying, “The Delhi government is not bothered about this development. Delhi government bans people from coming to ghats but makes false claims of cleaning them. The Supreme Court should take a suo-motu cognisance on this matter.” AAP leader Raghav Chadha has blamed the BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for the pollution in the Yamuna. Meanwhile, the Delhi government has deployed boats to remove the toxic foam that was formed in the Yamuna river amid severe criticism.
