Kejriwal writes to L-G: Allow Chhath Puja, COVID under control

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday wrote to Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal urging him to allow Chhath Puja celebrations in the state.

The CM said the COVID-19 situation in the state was now under control and requested the L-G to call a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to grant permission for the celebrations.

In an order on September 30, the DDMA had prohibited Chhath celebrations at public places, including waterbodies and temples, in view of the threat posed by COVID. 

Kejriwal said other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, had allowed Chhath celebrations with reasonable restrictions.

Also read: Delhi records 24,000 COVID cases in a day; Kejriwal calls situation ‘alarming’

The development came a day after BJP leader and North-East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari wrote a letter to Kejriwal and said that had his government been serious about holding Chhath Puja, it would have asked for directions from the Union health ministry in September itself.

“I have to say this with pain, that you regularly offend the sentiments of Hindu community and in Delhi you are accused of radical Muslim appeasement,” he wrote.

“Even by banning the festival, you have hurt the sentiments of Hindu community because Chhath is not only a festival of Purvanchal but it is an integral part of the rich historical cultural and spiritual tradition of India.

“As a chief minister, taking such an anti-Hindu stand does not suit you, because of you the dignity of this post is also being tarnished,” Tiwari said in the letter.

“Through this letter, I request that for the preparations related to public Chhath Puja in Delhi, action should be initiated by the Delhi government without any delay,” he said.

Tiwari was injured on Tuesday while protesting near Kejriwal’s residence against the ban on the celebration of Chhath Puja.