Ban on Chhath celebrations at Yamuna banks to hide rising pollution: Manoj Tiwari

New Delhi: BJP MP Manoj Tiwari Monday accused the AAP government of banning Chhath Puja celebrations on the banks of Yamuna to hide the rising pollution levels in the river.

Toxic foam was seen floating on the Yamuna due to high ammonia levels.

“What have you done to Delhi? These today’s pictures of Yamuna river are quite worrying and these pictures tell why the Chief Minister of Delhi stopped the festival of Purvanchalis’ faith from celebrating Chhath Puja on the banks of river Yamuna, as it would have exposed the works done by AAP on Yamuna cleaning,” he said.

He said he would be reaching Kalindi Kunj ghat in a while to show the condition of Yamuna.

The DDMA, which is headed by L-G Anil Baijal, last week passed directions allowing the public celebration of Chhath Pooja at designated areas, which exclude any site on the banks of the Yamuna.

West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma Sunday said he would defy the ban on celebrating the festival on the Yamuna banks and challenged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to stop him if he could.

AAP leaders had, meanwhile, staged a protest at Dwarka and accused the BJP of stopping them from preparing a Chhath ghat.

AAP MLA from Burari Sanjeev Jha, who staged the protest along with MLA Vinay Mishra, tweeted: “At many places in Delhi, the BJP is stopping Purvanchalis from preparing Chhath ghats to obstruct Chhath Puja. The AAP MLA and volunteers have come forward to construct Chhath ghat in Dwarka in response to this.”