AAP Leader Saurabh Bharadwaj Visits Kondli Ghat for Chhath Puja Event

AAP Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj visited Kondli Ghat for Chhath Puja, advising devotees to avoid polluted water. He also criticized the BJP for allegedly pressuring Chhath committees to join their party or face loss of state aid.

AAP Leader Saurabh Bharadwaj Visits Kondli Ghat for Chhath Puja Event

New Delhi [India], November 15 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday visited the Kondli Chhath Ghat in the national capital on the occasion of Chhath Puja and offered 'Arghya' to the setting sun. Extending his greetings on the festival, Bharadwaj urged devotees to celebrate Chhath at ghats with clean water and cautioned them against using polluted water, particularly along the Yamuna, for rituals.

"I would like to extend my heartfelt wishes to everyone on the occasion of Chhath Puja; may Chhathi Maiya fulfil everyone's wishes. I would advise that you may safely take your children to celebrate Chhath at ghats where the water is clean. However, please exercise caution near areas with polluted water—especially along the Yamuna—and ensure that the water is not used for achaman (ritual sipping/purification), as it could cause children to fall ill," Bharadwaj said.

During his remarks, the AAP leader also hit out at Kapil Mishra, accusing him of having a habit of making false statements and later apologising in court. "If Kapil Mishra refers to the High Court as the government, it is a sign of his utter shamelessness. But then again, lying is his habit; he tells a lie, and later, he ends up apologising. He told similar lies about Satyendar Jain and Arvind Kejriwal, only to be forced to apologise in court. This is typical behaviour for Kapil Mishra," he said.

Crediting the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government for initiating the construction of artificial ghats and providing financial support for Chhath Puja, Bharadwaj alleged that the current administration was pressuring Chhath Puja committees to join the BJP or face a halt in government assistance. "The initiative started by the Aam Aadmi Party government—under Arvind Kejriwal—to facilitate Chhath Puja by constructing artificial ghats and providing government funding is one of the few things the current administration has managed to continue. However, it has been observed this year that the government has been pressuring Chhath Puja committees to join the BJP. They are being told that if they do not join, the government will withhold the assistance usually provided to them. Such pressure has been exerted in several places, and in some instances, the aid has indeed been withheld. Something similar happened during the Kanwar Yatra as well," he alleged.

Urging the administration not to coerce committees, Bharadwaj asserted that during the AAP's decade-long tenure in Delhi, government grants were provided to organisers regardless of their political affiliation. "You should not coerce people in this manner. For 10 years, there was a Kejriwal-led government; throughout that time, everyone remained in the party they belonged to, and they continued to receive government grants. This same arrangement should continue moving forward," he added.

Chhath Puja is a four-day festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Dev) and Chhathi Maiya (Goddess Shasthi), observed to express gratitude to the Sun for sustaining life on Earth and to seek blessings for good health, prosperity, and longevity. This year, the celebrations are being held from November 13 to 16. Ahead of the festival, the Delhi Government has made extensive arrangements for devotees at more than 1,400 Chhath ghats across the capital. Special arrangements have been made for the evening prayers and offerings to the setting sun on Sunday and the worship of the rising sun on Monday morning, the release said.

"These include major ghats along the Yamuna as well as the grand 11-km-long Chhath ghat developed along the Munak Canal in North Delhi. The ghat has been developed keeping in mind the convenience of devotees and the traditions associated with the festival. Arrangements have been made at the ghats for cleanliness, lighting, security, drinking water, toilets, changing rooms for women and other essential facilities. The government aims to ensure that devotees can observe the festival with full devotion and without inconvenience," it added. (ANI)