Leaders join devotees for Chhath prayers

The Yamuna ghats and other Chhath sites across Delhi turned into vibrant centres of devotion and festivity on Monday evening as political leaders and ministers joined thousands of devotees to offer Sandhya Arghya (evening prayers) to the setting sun and Chhathi Maiya.

The city witnessed one of its most elaborate and organised Chhath Puja celebrations this year, with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, BJP leaders, and Cabinet ministers visiting multiple ghats to extend greetings and take part in the rituals.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta led the celebrations, attending several major events across the Capital. Beginning her evening at Chhath Park in Mangolpuri, the CM was accompanied by Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, MP Yogendra Chandolia, and MLA Raj Kumar Chauhan. Later, she visited Sonia Vihar-Pushta, where she took a boat ride across the Yamuna, stopping at the Sports Complex, Ram Ghat, and Shyam Ghat to participate in the festivities.

The CM concluded her visit at Vasudev Ghat near Kashmere Gate, where she joined devotees amid devotional songs and cultural performances, praising the festival as a reflection of Delhi’s cultural unity. “This is the first time Chhath Puja is being celebrated in such a grand and divine manner in the Capital,” the CM said.

Across Delhi, BJP MPs, MLAs and office bearers also joined the celebrations, greeting devotees from the Purvanchal community. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva visited several ghats including New Ashok Nagar, Surya Ghat Trilokpuri, Hansraj Sethi Park Kalkaji, Vasudev Ghat, and Patparganj to meet devotees and oversee arrangements.

Minister of State Harsh Malhotra offered prayers with devotees at ghats in Yamuna Bank, Seemapuri, Kondli, and Geeta Colony, while Pawan Rana and Vishnu Mittal attended ceremonies at Pontoon Bridge Ghat, Badarpur, and Vishwas Nagar. MPs Manoj Tiwari, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Praveen Khandelwal, and Bansuri Swaraj also participated in celebrations across the city, extending greetings and taking blessings from the fasting women (vratis).

In a first, PWD Minister Parvesh Verma hosted a grand Chhath Puja celebration at his official residence at Windsor Place, where a special ghat was constructed within the premises. Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh visited several ghats in Bawana Assembly, including the Model Ghat at Rohini Sector 20, where he offered prayers and praised the Delhi Government’s arrangements.

Delhi’s Education Minister and Janakpuri MLA, Ashish Sood, visited various Chhath Ghats in his constituency and interacted with fasting women (vratdharis) and devotees.

AAP slams BJP over non-closure of liquor vends

The AAP on Monday launched a sharp attack on the BJP government in Delhi for keeping liquor shops open during the sacred festival of Chhath Mahaparv, calling it a grave insult to the sentiments of the Purvanchali community.

Addressing the media, AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of disrespecting the sanctity of the festival.

He alleged that the BJP, which created ‘fake AQI readings and a fake Yamuna’, was now running a ‘fake Sanatani government’. Bharadwaj personally inspected several liquor shops across the city on Monday to verify if they were operational during the festival.

Sharing visuals of his visit on X, he said that liquor shops run by the Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) were open and functioning despite the holy occasion.