Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday accused the BJP-led Delhi government of failing to provide water for Durga idol immersion at Chittaranjan Park (CR Park), alleging that organisers at one of the area's largest Durga Puja pandals were unable to perform the traditional visarjan ceremony because of inadequate arrangements.
In a post on X, Bharadwaj criticised the government over the alleged lapse and linked it to the ongoing controversy surrounding restrictions imposed during Durga Puja celebrations in the predominantly Bengali neighbourhood. The latest allegation comes days after the AAP accused Delhi Police of harassing organisers, restricting pandal timings and interfering with festivities.
"Can u believe that CR Park Bengalis at biggest Durga Puja Pandal could not do Visarjan because Delhi Govt has not provided them water," Bharadwaj wrote.
He further alleged that the authorities had earlier used the police to obstruct celebrations and described the government's handling of the festivities as shameful.
The allegations regarding the absence of water arrangements could not be independently verified. No response from the Delhi government to Bharadwaj's latest accusation was immediately available.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฝ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐
The fresh criticism follows a series of allegations made by Bharadwaj against Delhi Police over the management of Durga Puja celebrations in CR Park.
On October 19, the AAP leader alleged that police personnel were creating difficulties for organisers by enforcing an earlier closing time for pandals and loudspeakers. According to Bharadwaj, organisers who had been permitted to continue festivities until midnight in previous years were being asked to conclude activities by 10 pm.
He argued that the restrictions could lead to overcrowding by reducing the time available for devotees to visit pandals, particularly during the evening hours when attendance is generally higher.
Bharadwaj also warned that compressing visitor movement into a shorter period could create crowd-management risks. He urged the authorities to ensure that restrictions did not compromise public safety during the celebrations.
The AAP leader claimed that many devotees visit pandals after completing their work and business commitments, making the evening hours particularly important for Durga Puja celebrations.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐
Delhi Police had earlier rejected allegations that its personnel were deliberately obstructing Durga Puja celebrations in CR Park.
Responding to criticism over its intervention at pandals, the police maintained that the measures were intended to enforce noise pollution regulations and ensure compliance with applicable restrictions on loudspeakers.
Police officials said organisers had agreed to follow the prescribed rules but that loud music continued beyond the permitted hours at some locations, necessitating intervention.
The clarification came after videos circulated on social media showing police personnel at Durga Puja venues, prompting allegations that devotees and organisers were being forced to leave.
Bharadwaj had also accused police personnel of entering a pandal in CR Park's B Block and disconnecting electricity, allegedly damaging equipment used during the celebrations.
In a post addressed to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, he claimed that members of the Bengali community and Durga Puja committees were facing unprecedented harassment.
The police, however, maintained that its actions were regulatory in nature and denied deliberately interfering with religious celebrations.
๐๐๐ฃ ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐
The latest allegation has shifted the focus from restrictions on pandal operations to the arrangements for idol immersion, an important concluding ritual of Durga Puja.
Visarjan involves the ceremonial immersion of Goddess Durga's idol following the completion of the festival. In Delhi, designated artificial ponds and other authorised immersion facilities are generally used to facilitate the ritual while limiting pollution in natural water bodies.
Bharadwaj's allegation raises questions about whether adequate arrangements were made at the CR Park venue. However, the available account does not establish whether the reported difficulty resulted from a delay in filling an immersion facility, a disruption in water supply or another logistical issue.
It also remains unclear whether the ceremony was subsequently completed or what alternative arrangements, if any, were made for the organisers.
CR Park is among Delhi's best-known centres of Bengali culture and Durga Puja celebrations, attracting large numbers of visitors to its pandals every year. The locality's festivities are organised by community associations and committees that coordinate with civic agencies and police for crowd management, public amenities and ceremonial arrangements.
The dispute has brought the role of the Delhi government, civic authorities and police in facilitating major community festivals under political scrutiny.
While Bharadwaj has accused the government of failing to provide essential arrangements and interfering with celebrations, police authorities have defended their earlier actions as necessary to enforce noise regulations.
The latest allegation concerning water for idol immersion remains unverified, with further clarification from the authorities required to establish the circumstances at the pandal.