BJP, AAP workers clash in Delhi over construction of ghat for Chhath puja in Kalkaji

ANI Photo (AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj)

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers on Thursday clashed over an issue of construction of a ghat in the DDA flats area of Delhi's Kalkaji to celebrate the highly auspicious festival of Chhath, which begins on October 31. A large number of police personnel have been deployed in the area to avert the situation.

AAP workers have claimed that a ghat gets constructed at Ambedkar Park in DDA flats area of Kalkaji every year to celebrate Chhath and are demanding that the ghaat should be constructed at the park for this year as well to carry out the festivities.

However, BJP leader and Corporation Councillor Subhash Bhadana has claimed that Chhath pooja is not held at Ambedkar Park, however, at nearby Janamashtami Park and the permission to hold the pooja has been granted for Janamashtami Park only. Bhadana insisted that Ambedkar Park has been developed as a children's park over the year and it has several swings as well. BJP said that the AAP wants to destroy the children's park.

AAP leaders including AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot, MLAs Saurabh Bhardwaj, Prakash Jarwal, Ajay Dutt, Avtar Singh Kalka, ND Sharma, Naresh Yadav, Sanjeev Jha, Somnath Bharti, and AAP leader Dilip Pandey among other leaders arrived at the spot with their supporters and have sat on a dharna to demand that a ghat be constructed at Ambedkar Park only.

Subhash Bhadana also staged a dharna at the park with his supporters raising slogans against the AAP. No outside is being allowed to enter the park. 
BJP leader Shikha Rai, who was present at the spot of contention, said that this was a matter between the Aam Aadmi Party and the local councilor, and where the ghat is allowed to be built, the ghat should be built on it.