Delhi Govt declares Novmber 20 as public holiday on account of 'Chhath Puja'

New Delhi [India], November 17 (ANI): Delhi Government has declared November 20 as a public holiday on account of 'Chhath Puja'.
"Chhath Puja is an important festival for the people of NCT of Delhi. Accordingly, Government of NCT of Delhi, has decided to declare November 20, 2020 as a public holiday on account of 'Chhat Pooja," said Delhi government in order.
Earlier in the day, BJP Puravnchal Morcha held a protest march towards the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against the government's decision of banning Chhath Puja on the banks of river Yamuna and public ghats.
Shouting slogans against the Kejriwal government and demanding that the chief minister should either lift the ban or resign, the protesters claimed that they will celebrate Chhath, no matter what.
"The government has opened all the markets. The DTC buses are plying with no social distancing norms. But the government is banning the puja on the pretext of the COVID-19. This is clearly a failure of this government. Rather than banning celebrations, arrangements should have been made to ensure social distancing," said Adesh Gupta, the President of the Delhi BJP unit.
Responding to allegations levelled by BJP, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak said that the BJP-ruled Central government has issued guidelines stopping the celebration of Chhath puja but the same BJP is doing politics and falsely accusing the Kejriwal Government of not allowing the celebration. Pathak said that the "AAP demands that BJP should get permission from Home Minister Amit Shah to celebrate Chhath Puja and the Aam Aadmi Party will ensure the celebration."
The Delhi Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) has ordered that Chhath Puja will not be held at any public place this time due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The DDMC has suggested the people can celebrate the festival in private places. (ANI)