Delhi BJP President Shri Vijay Goel today slammed the Congress government for compelling people of Purvanchal to celebrate Chhath Puja in dirty and extremely polluted Yamuna. He said that people braved the grave health risk in celebrating Chhath Puja due to neglect of the Congress government. Shri Goel took part in the Chhath Puja at ITO ghat of Yamuna.
Shri Goel said, “Lakhs of people throng to Yamuna ghats every year to celebrate Chhath Puja. This does not come uninformed, but the Congress government has always been found lacking in efforts. The government’s neglect has turned Yamuna into a dirty drain and people are forced to take grave health risk to celebrate Chhath Puja when they offer Arghya to sun god for their well being.”
Shri Goel said, “The neglect of Yamuna and proper maintenance of the ghats even during Chhath Puja betrays the inherent bias of the Congress government against the Purvanchali people. Several ministers of the government including the Chief Minister have openly blamed the Purvanchali people to hide their own failures for rising crimes in Delhi.”
“Every year devotees gather at the India Gate for Chhath Puja but it was shocking to see that the authorities prevented people from gathering at the venue this year,” Sh. Goel said.
Shri Goel further said, “The Congress government has neglected Purvanchalis and their cultural identity. Now, by asking some of the leaders to pay lip service regarding concerns of the Purvanchali people, the Congress stands exposed. The BJP will declare Chhath Puja a public holiday, when elected to power.”
Expressing his concern over state of Yamuna, Shri Goel said, “The government has spent more than Rs 2000 crore in the name of Yamuna cleaning but the river has only become unfit even for public activities. When elected to power, the BJP will do in 15 months what the Congress has not done in 15 years. Yamuna cleaning will take effect on the ground as soon as the BJP comes to power.”
In an affidavit to SC in October, 2012, Delhi Jal Board said that approximately Rs. 2072 crore has been spent by the Delhi government and Delhi Jal Board towards controlling and preventing the pollution of river Yamuna. By now, the Yamuna's polluted and black water should have been sparkling clean, as clean as the river's water is at its source. Instead, the 22-km stretch of the river in Delhi has become more polluted. The Congress government has failed to build a separate sewage flow and treatment apparatus.