‘Fake’ ghat with filtered Ganga water built separately from Yamuna for PM Modi’s Chhath Puja, alleges AAP

As President of India Droupadi Murmu participated in Chhath Puja celebrations in the President’s Estate, where devotees offered Arghya to the setting Sun, a controversy brewed in the national capital Delhi, where PM Narendra Modi is slated to perform Chhath Puja today.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and party’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bhardwaj on Sunday levelled serious allegations against the BJP government, claiming that the Vasudev Ghat in Delhi  where PM is expected to perform Chhath Puja has been “artificially created using filtered Ganga water instead of the Yamuna’s”.

In a video shared on social media, the AAP leader alleged that the original Vasudev Ghat, which was built on the banks of the Yamuna, has now been separated from the river by a mud embankment. “The Yamuna and the Ghat have been disconnected. The water currently seen inside the Ghat is not from the Yamuna but is filtered Ganga water brought through a green pipeline from Sonia Vihar,” he claimed.

According to the AAP leader, the water pipeline carries treated Ganga water that is meant for drinking from the Sonia Vihar plant, which has been ‘illegally tapped’ to fill the artificial pond at Vasudev Ghat.

He further alleged that the arrangement was made to ensure that the PM performs puja in clean water, while “poor migrants from Bihar and eastern UP” continue to use the polluted Yamuna for the festival.

“This is BJP’s deception. The Prime Minister will be shown standing beside the Yamuna, but in reality, he will be performing rituals in filtered drinking water. The setup has been covered with green sheets to prevent anyone from noticing the fraud,” the AAP leader alleged in the video.

At a separate event, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also offered Chhath prayers.

CM Gupta on Sunday assured devotees of a memorable Chhath festival this year, claiming that extensive preparations have been done for Purvanchal brothers and sisters at all Yamuna ghats from Palla to Kalindi. 

In a video message posted on X, she said: “After many years, our brothers and sisters will be able to worship the Sun on the banks of Yamuna Ji and offer Arghya to the Sun. We have made extensive preparations… Heartiest best wishes to all of you. I pray to Chhathi Maiya that her blessings remain upon us all like this.”

Art and Culture Minister Kapil Mishra, while speaking to the media, said that for many years, the previous government had imposed a ban on performing Chhath Puja on the Yamuna banks. Devotees who went to perform the rituals were even booked under false cases.

“But now, times have changed. This year, grand celebrations are being held on the banks of river Yamuna. This is not only a symbol of faith but also proof of the positive transformation and cleanliness achieved at the ghats,” he said.

He added that this year, Chhath Puja in Delhi is being celebrated on a historic scale. “The Aam Aadmi Party is protesting over the cleanliness of the Yamuna today, but they themselves were in power for 11 years. We’ve been in government for just 7 months, and what they couldn’t do in over a decade, we’ve accomplished in this short time. The transformation along the Yamuna is visible for all to see. This change reflects the devotion and hard work of the people of Delhi,” he said.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)