AAP’s Sanjay Singh sits on dharna for permission to conduct Chhath Puja in south Delhi day after party workers clash with BJP

New Delhi: Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh sat on a dharna briefly on Thursday, accusing the BJP of playing “dirty politics” over the construction of a Chhath Puja ghat in south Delhi’s Kalkaji, a day after the workers of the two parties clashed over the issue. [caption id=“attachment_3364588” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of AAP leader Sanjay Singh. Image courtesy: Facebook[/caption] Singh claimed BJP workers thrashed AAP members when they tried to counter the local councillor Subhash Bhadana’s opposition to a Chhath ghat inside an MCD park in the Kalkaji area. Singh, cabinet minister Kailash Gehlot, senior AAP leaders Dilip Pandey, Durgesh Pathak, and MLA Sanjeev Jha, staged a protest on the issue in the Greater Kailash area of the city. “The incident has exposed the true face of BJP,” Singh said. Later in the evening, AAP ended the protest after the permission for the Chhath Puja was granted. Singh said BJP’s “anti-Purvanchali mentality” has been exposed to the people of Delhi. “This is not the first incident. Purvanchalis have been killed, beaten up, and thrown out of BJP-ruled states like Maharashtra and Gujarat,” he alleged. Hitting back, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said AAP workers were trying to “vitiate the atmosphere” before Chhath Puja. “History is witness to the fact that Chhathi Maiya punishes those who create hindrance in Chhath Puja,” said Tiwari. Local MP and BJP national spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi accused the AAP leaders of indulging in “anarchic and hate politics.” “The park in question where the AAP leaders staged dharna for conducting the Chhath Puja is an ornamental park. Local residents have banned events like marriage functions there. Also, no permission was sought and the whole issue was blown out by AAP dragging the BJP into it.” “The way several AAP MLAs and party MP Sanjay Singh staged dharna shows their intent to politicise the issue which is hateful considering the significance of Chhath Puja. Chhath Maiya will not forgive AAP and punish the party in coming elections,” she said.