Manoj Tiwari urges Kejriwal to call meeting for Chhat puja arrangements

New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) The BJP on Friday urged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to "rise above party politics" and call a high-level meeting for making arrangements for next week's Chhat puja.

"Kejriwal government should call a high level meeting for making arrangements for Chhat Puja," Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit chief Manoj Tiwari told reporters here after a meeting with the BJP Poorvanchal Morcha to draw attention on the "negligence" of the AAP government in solving problems faced in Chhat Puja for the last few years.

Tiwari also directed the Municipal Corporations to fully cooperate in making arrangements for Chhat puja.

"Lakhs of Poorvanchali settled in the city observe Chhat puja every year and Delhi government should rise above party politics and understand the sentiments of the people," the BJP leader said.

He alleged that the Kejriwal government is trying to "find scope for politics in this religious festival by insulting the Chhat puja samitis (committees) which is unfortunate".

Office bearers of the Chhat puja samitis told the BJP MP from Northeast Delhi that arrangements for the puja were lagging behind in North West Delhi, including Kirari, Mehrauli and South Delhi and it needs to be looked into.

They also told Tiwari that only four days were left for the puja and the temporary ghats to be constructed in small parks were not complete.

After listening to their grievances, Tiwari assured the puja samitis that the party workers would help the officers and employees of the MCDs and also do shramdan at the ghats to make them clean so that devotees would not face any problems.

He said the BJP will also arrange for tents at the Chhat ghat for the convenience of devotees.

Chhat Puja is celebrated on the sixth day following Diwali and is dedicated to the Sun. It is one of the most popular festivals in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.