Delhi: Manoj Tiwari starts 'Chhath Yatra', aims to get ban revoked

NEW DELHI: BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Saturday started "

Chhath Yatra

" from northeast Delhi as part of his plan to mobilise people to put pressure on the

Delhi government

to allow

Chhath Puja celebrations

in public places.


The

Delhi Disaster Management Authority

has for the second consecutive year banned Chhath puja celebrations in public places fearing it could lead to coronavirus spread.

In a public meeting at Sonia Vihar in Northeast Delhi which is dominated by people from Bihar and eastern UP for whom Chhath is a major festival, Tiwari asked people who want to celebrate the festival in public places and most of them raised their hands.

"People are ready to strictly follow all the Covid-19 guidelines and celebrate the festival in public places. Over 1.8 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered in Delhi. The government should revoke the ban and respect the sentiments of the people," Tiwari said, vowing to make arrangements for people to celebrate the festival in Yamuna riverbank.

Tiwari said several Chhath puja organising committees have reached out to him and expressed their desire to celebrate the festival in public places. The festival is connected with the sentiments of hundreds of thousands of people who celebrate it. "When all the economic and other activities have been permitted in Delhi, why has the government banned the Chhath puja. I will not only oppose this decision of the Delhi government but will also make all arrangements for people to celebrate the festival in public places while following all the Covid-19 protocols," sad Tiwari who is also former Delhi BJP chief.

Chhath puja is nearly a month away and Tiwari has planned to take his "Chhath Yatra" to all the districts of the capital to gather support of the people for getting the ban revoked.