The three-day Chhath festival that will be observed from November 8-10 this year. File
With the BJP stepping up its protests against the ban on Chhath Puja celebrations, the Delhi government has now written to the centre to issue guidelines to observe the festival amid the pandemic.
In his letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has said people from the Purvanchal belt, including those in Delhi, are eagerly looking forward to celebrating Chhath.
Referring to the impact of the pandemic on our lives over the past 18 months, Mr Sisodia has said that the festival was celebrated last year as per guidelines laid down by the centre to prevent a spike in Covid cases.
He has urged the centre to consult experts and accordingly issue appropriate guidelines to observe the festival this time.
A three-day festival that will be observed from November 8-10 this year, Chhath Puja celebrations see people gather at river banks. It is a key festival in north India, especially in the Purvanchal region that covers parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The letter comes against the backdrop of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority's guidelines prohibiting Chhath celebrations at river banks in view of the pandemic.
The BJP protested against the guidelines and said Chhath Puja organising committees are ready to follow all Covid protocols but the authorities must allow the celebrations.
BJP MP and former chief of the party's Delhi unit Manoj Tiwari said there is no chance of Covid spread during Chhath festivities and termed the ban on celebrations as an insult to Purvanchalis. The Congress too joined in and slammed the ruling AAP over the issue.
Responding to the row, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the opposition parties to not politicise the issue. He said that the gathering in water bodies during the festival may lead to a spike in Covid cases.
Purvanchalis comprise a major chunk of voters in Delhi. Every year, leaders from major political parties visit ghats and the Delhi government as well as civic bodies controlled by the BJP vie with each other to ensure facilities for the devotees.
While Covid case counts in Delhi have gone down, the fear of a third wave of infections remains. The national capital today reported 34 cases and zero deaths over the past 24 hours.