The ban on organising Chhath Puja at public places snowballed into a political issue on Saturday even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to his opponents not to “indulge in politics” over the issue.
Speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony at the Delhi Assembly, Mr. Kejriwal sought to assert that restrictions imposed on the Chhath Puja were for the safety of citizens amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is a risk involved because if even one person is infected, he or she can spread it to everyone else through the medium of water [during arghyas ],” Mr. Kejriwal said.
North-East Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, who had on Friday met with representatives of Chhath Puja samitis, requested Mr. Kejriwal to join him in requesting L-G Anil Baijal, also Delhi Disaster Management Authority chairperson, to lift the curbs.
The DDMA in its order on Thursday had prohibited four-day long Chhath Puja celebrations at public places, including riverbanks and temples, in view of the pandemic.
Mr. Tiwari, a day after convening a meeting of Chhath Puja committees, referred to tweets from AAP MLAs blaming the L-G for the decision to put across his point as he sought to urge the Chief Minister to send a formal proposal to the L-G seeking permission.
“ @ArvindKejriwal , your party members are also in support of our demand, you are requested that the government makes a proposal that Chhath Puja should be observed on the banks of ponds and the Yamuna within the limits of COVID-19 rules,” Mr. Tiwari tweeted.
“Send this proposal to DDMA and together we will move forward in this together work. We hope your government will cooperate. In either case Chhath Puja will be observed,” he said.
