Manoj Tiwari Injured While Protesting Outside Kejriwal's House, Criticised Environment Minister Of Delhi

Manoj Tiwari, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was wounded on Tuesday while opposing the prohibition on mass Chhath puja celebrations nearby the house of Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi. He was taken to the emergency department of Safdarjung Hospital and released later that evening. Tiwari was working with a group of major party leaders, namely Adesh Gupta, the Delhi BJP head, in calling for the Chhath prohibition to be lifted. Members of the party chanted anti-Kejriwal chants and demanded that the judgment be overturned for not permitting public celebrations.

To clear the gathering, Delhi Police blocked the Chief Ministers' home and used water cannons. One of those water cannons hit Manoj Tiwari as he attempted to cross the wall of CM's residence, causing him to fall and be wounded. Many other people were hurt as well. Senior party officials questioned if Kejriwal had permitted malls and marketplaces to reopen, why would he put a ban on the Chhath Puja celebration. Tiwari stated that the feelings of about 80 lakh Purvanchalis (the people who consider Chhath Puja as their main festival) must be taken into account.

Apart from that, The BJP leaders claimed to have met the Chhath organising committees of Delhi separately, in order to know about their preparations. They further added that since Chhath Puja is a symbol of cleanliness and promotes hygiene, being against the Chhath puja celebration merely reflects that the Kejriwal Government is "rather against the culture". Adesh Gupta further referred to this ban as a "Tughlaqi Farman" and added that this move of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was a direct attack on the religious sentiments of the Purvanchalis.

After consultation with health experts, Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, requested the Central Government to provide rules for the celebration of Chhath Puja, as at the earliest. In a statement addressed to Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Health Minister of India; Manish Sisodia wrote that the residents of Purvanchal commemorate this event with a profound sense of sacrifice and faith, and therefore they are looking forward to the celebration in this year as well.

Criticised For Politicising The Festival

Gopal Rai, the Environment Minister of Delhi, has criticised Lok Sabha MP Manoj Tiwari for requesting permission to hold the Chhath Puja celebration in the capital. Further, he has also urged him to speak with the BJP-led Centre for issuing new COVID-19 rules. The minister said the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had released a notification in accordance with the Union Health Ministry's rules, and he urged him to speak with the BJP-led Union government about issuing a new COVID-19 guideline for the festival. While demanding the allowance of Chhath Puja in Delhi, MP Manoj Tiwari organised a protest right outside the Official residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday.