Mumbai: BJP, NCP in face-off over permission for performing Chhath Puja in Ghatkopar

The Acharya Prahlad Keshav Atre ground at Ghatkopar where the Chhath Puja will be performed

It appears that the city always sees a tussle between political parties when festivals arrive. This time, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are in a face-off over permission for performing Chhath Puja. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has refused permission for NCP leader Rakhi Jadhav to organise the Puja at the Acharya Prahlad Keshav Atre ground at Ghatkopar East, but granted it to the Atal Samajik Sanstha, for the same venue. The Sanstha belongs to the local BJP karyakarta. Jadhav has approached the Bombay High Court over the issue. Chhath Puja is on October 30.

‘Use other areas'

"The Atal Samajik Sanstha submitted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the local police, traffic police, and Mumbai Fire brigade. Therefore BMC allowed this organisation to organize Chhath Puja on the ground. It will use 30 per cent of the ground for Chhath Puja. We are not opposed to anybody, other organisations can use other parts of the ground," said BJP spokesperson Bhalchandra Shirsat.

"BMC has granted us permission as per the rules. We have also paid the fees of the ground. So if anyone else wants to perform Chhathh Puja on the area of ground where we received permission, we are against it," Shirsat added further.

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The Durga Parmeshwari Mandal which is led by NCP leader Jadhav had also applied to BMC in the month July for the same ground to organise Chhath Puja. BMC had then given conditional permission to it, according to Jadhav. However, Jadhav claimed the Mandal failed to get the NOC of the local police for the Puja, as by the time she received the draft for the NOC from the BMC for the same, they had given the NOC to the other organisation.

‘BMC caused delay'

"BMC is now the BJP office. The administration is working for BJP. I was trying to get a draft of the NOC from the BMC in the last week of September. An official said they are busy with Navratri. So I approached the BMC official again on October 14.

The official gave me a draft of the NOC which I submitted to the local police station, traffic police, and the Fire Brigade. The traffic police and the Fire Brigade gave me NOC. But the local police refused saying they have already given it to another Mandal for Chhath Puja on the same ground,"
said Jadhav.

"I have filed a petition in the Bombay High Court on October 19. The same day BMC sent me a letter that it was not accepting my application of organizing Chhath Puja," she added. The next hearing will be on October 25.

Assistant Municipal Commissioner of N ward Sanjay Sonavane said this case is subjudice. "We will follow the court order."