New Delhi [India], July 11 : AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday criticised the BJP-led Delhi administration for politicising the sacred Kanwar Yatra by defunding long-standing community-run camps and redirecting funds to BJP-backed and affiliated organisations.
Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader and Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "Every year, we supported all Kanwar camps--irrespective of their political affiliations--by arranging tents, lights, sound systems, furniture, fans, coolers, music systems, and stages. The Kanwar committees only had to focus on 'seva' and managing the prasad distribution. This model ran smoothly for years. I can say with full responsibility that it never mattered whether a Kanwar committee was aligned with Congress, BJP, or AAP--our government helped everyone equally."
Claiming to have exposed the policy shift, he stated, "The BJP government has first declared that they will no longer provide tents, lights, or sound directly. Instead, they claimed they'll give money. This created confusion and anxiety among Kanwar committees--how much will be given? When will it be given? Even during a meeting held at the Secretariat, ministers used derogatory words about the Kanwar committees and the camps themselves. It was said that money would be transferred to their accounts, but now when the time has come to set up the camps, no one has received anything. The committees don't know how much will come or when."
Calling out the BJP for targeting non-affiliated camps, the AAP Delhi State President revealed, "Now, BJP leaders are being asked to form new committees, register societies, open bank accounts, and only then they'll be funded by the government. Delhi's taxpayer money, government funds, are being withheld from those Kanwar committees that have served for 10, 15, 20 years. Instead, the money is being directed to newly formed committees run by BJP leaders."
Saurabh Bharadwaj cited a specific instance, "Our MLA Kuldeep Kumar has been running a Kanwar camp at Kondli Pul, near Sankhwar Hospital, for the last six years. Every year, the government provided tents, lights, and sound. This was likely Delhi's biggest Kanwar camp, as it is located right at the entry point to the city and serves thousands of pilgrims. But this year, due to this political vendetta, their tents were removed by police this morning (July 9). They were told their camp won't be allowed and that someone new will be assigned to set up the camp."
Elaborating more on the situation, senior AAP leader and Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar stated, "Every year, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has made excellent arrangements for the Kanwar Yatra. From tents and lights to toilets and sound systems--everything was provided, while community organizations handled food and service for the pilgrims. This was the tradition in Delhi."
"I've seen camps costing ₹25-40 lakh, especially in border areas like Shahdara where massive camps are set up 15-20 days in advance. But now, it's already the 10th July, and the Kanwar Jal is scheduled for the 23rd--just 13 days left--and not a single committee knows whether they're getting a tent or not. They're uncertain about funding, logistics, or where to get donations from. There's complete chaos," he asserted.
Kuldeep Kumar further added, "During the meeting at the Secretariat, all Kanwar committees opposed this new policy. Minister Kapil Mishra even assured them that their concerns would be considered and this policy would not be implemented. But despite that, it has been forcefully imposed across Delhi, causing total disorder."
He shared, "This morning, permission for a Kanwar camp that had been operating at the same spot for the last six years was cancelled and granted to another organization. I want to ask all institutions involved in Kanwar Seva and even those that organize Chhath Puja--does the BJP now want to seize control of Delhi's religious institutions too, just like they did with the ED, CBI, and Election Commission? Do only those who join BJP deserve to run these committees? If an MLA doesn't support BJP, does it mean his area won't get a Kanwar camp? This is a dictatorship. This is goondaism."
The AAP MLA stated, "The large Kanwar camp at Kondli Pul, which served Shiva devotees for six straight years, was dismantled. And now BJP leaders are thinking to benefit their own people--by opening bank accounts, register organizations, and getting the money. This is a new channel of corruption. A new scam. We want to remind them--no one escapes the wrath of Lord Shiva. Don't invite the curse of Bholenath."