AAP, BJP spar as Delhi CM seeks prayers for PM Modi at Durga puja pandals

AAP alleged that CM Rekha Gupta asked pandals to place PM's photo at Maa Durga’s feet. BJP dismissed the claim as fake, citing Kejriwal’s images at past pujas.

A fresh slugfest erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday, with both accusing the other of “politicising faith” ahead of the festive season. The flashpoint was a video of Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta urging people to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17 as part of a “sewa pakhwada”, a fortnight of service.

CM Rekha Gupta said her appeal was part of a sewa pakhwada with drives like blood donation, health camps and cleanliness initiatives across the Capital. (HT Photo)

In the purported video, Gupta is heard suggesting that people pray for Modi’s health and longevity by placing his photograph near idols at Durga Puja pandals.

“From September 17 to October 2, Delhi will see a series of welfare initiatives. I also wish that Durga Puja pandals undertake some work of seva and pray for the Prime Minister by placing his image at Maa’s feet,” she says in Hindi. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the clip.

The AAP alleged that the video showed that CM Gupta has decreed that “pictures of PM Modi be put up in pandals”. “This shows that CM Gupta has decreed that pictures of Modi ji should be put up in pandals. Bringing politics into the worship of Mother Durga is an insult to Hindus. Delhi will never tolerate this,” said AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj. He added that the Bengali community in Delhi – where Durga Puja is celebrated on a grand scale in Chittaranjan Park, Dwarka and Rohini – was “deeply angered.”

Bharadwaj insisted Durga Puja was “inherently an act of service, not a commercial event,” and urged Gupta to avoid “tampering with the faith of Bengalis.”

The BJP, however, dismissed the outrage as “manufactured.” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said Gupta had merely urged committees to pray for Modi’s good health while focusing on welfare initiatives like blood donation camps, health drives and cleanliness campaigns during the festival.

“Bharadwaj should not preach about using photos. During Chhath Puja, Kejriwal’s photos were everywhere. For a decade, his government has cajoled Puja Samitis to put up portraits of Kejriwal, Sisodia and local MLAs,” Sachdeva said.

BJP leaders also invoked parallels with West Bengal, alleging Mamata Banerjee’s government “forces” Puja committees to display her images.

“Like Kejriwal, one of his mentors Mamata Banerjee pressures Samitis. Yet now both Kejriwal and Banerjee are playing the victim,” said BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, while releasing photos of Kejriwal’s portraits at last year’s Puja pandals.