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Kejriwal urges Baijal to allow Chhath Puja celebrations in Delhi
“People of Delhi celebrate Chhat Puja every year with a lot of devotion,” said Kejriwal in his letter to Baijal
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday wrote to lieutenant governor Anil Baijal urging him to allow Chhat Puja celebrations in Delhi with adherence to Covid-19 protocols.
“People of Delhi celebrate Chhath Puja every year with a lot of devotion with a strong belief that it would bring good health and prosperity. In Delhi, the Covid-19 situation has been under control for the past few months. In my opinion, people should be allowed to celebrate Chhath Puja with the necessary regulations. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and other neighbouring states have allowed it with necessary protocols. I request you convene a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and consider allowing Chhath Puja in Delhi too,” said Kejriwal in his letter to Baijal. He shared a copy of the letter on Twitter.
Baijal is the DDMA chairperson and Kejriwal vice-chairperson.
On September 30, the DDMA issued an order prohibiting the celebration of Chhath Puja at riverbanks, near water bodies, open grounds, in temples, and other public spaces. Limited restrictions were imposed on other festivals such as Durga Puja and Dussehra.
Chhath Puja in public spaces was prohibited last year too because of the pandemic. This year, it will be celebrated on November 10. The festival involves collective dips in water bodies and worshipping the Sun. It is a major festival for people from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, who have a sizeable presence in Delhi.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has protested against restrictions on Chhath Puja celebrations. On October 9, Kejriwal said the DDMA prohibited the celebrations because of the inherent risk of transmission in the rituals which involve gathering in large numbers. His deputy Manish Sisodia wrote to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya three days later, urging the Centre to draft protocols and issue necessary orders with regard to the festival.
President of Delhi-BJP Adesh Gupta said: “It is because of the pressure created by the BJP that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal -- whose government was against Chhat celebrations -- has today written to the lieutenant governor to allow Chhat celebrations to take place. I congratulate all devotees from Poorvanchal who live in Delhi and celebrate the festival.”
