The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has slammed the BJP government for keeping liquor shops open in Delhi during the holy festival of Chhath Mahaparv, calling it an insult to Purvanchali faith and true Sanatan values. Senior AAP leader and Delhi Unit Chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said the BJP, which creates fake AQI readings and a fake Yamuna, is now running a “fake Sanatani government” that has disrespected the sanctity and purity of the festival once honoured by the Arvind Kejriwal government.
On Monday, senior AAP leader and Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj inspected several liquor shops across Delhi to check whether they were open or closed during the sacred Chhath Mahaparv. He said that when the AAP government was in power in Delhi, then-CM Arvind Kejriwal had always declared Chhath Puja as a Dry Day out of respect for Chhathi Maiya and the Purvanchali community. During those years, liquor sales were completely prohibited across the city. However, Saurabh Bharadwaj said that when he visited the shops on Monday, he found that the BJP government had ordered all liquor shops to remain open.
Sharing a video of his inspection on X, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “For the people of Purvanchal, the Chhath Mahaparv is a symbol of cleanliness and purity. Yet today, on this sacred day, liquor shops run by the Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) are open and fully operational. Even though there are no customers, these outlets are functioning because people know that under the AAP government, liquor shops were always closed on Chhath as a mark of reverence for this holy festival.”
He elaborated that during Chhath, devotees make offerings such as thekua and kheer using new earthen stoves, and even buy new gas cylinders and steel stoves to ensure complete purity during the festival. “When the AAP government was in Delhi, liquor shops were kept closed on the demand of Purvanchali MLAs. But now, even with the BJP in power at both the Centre and in Delhi, and with a BJP-appointed Lieutenant Governor (LG), liquor shops have been kept open on this holy day,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said.
“This so-called deeply Sanatani government has falsely claimed to be the custodian of religion, yet it has allowed liquor shops to remain open on Chhath. These shops may be open, but they are empty — because people feel ashamed of a government that disrespects their faith,” he added.
Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned, “Why did the BJP government, which seeks votes in the name of Sanatan Dharma and thrives on abusing and dividing people, open liquor shops on such a sacred day? Did AAP or Arvind Kejriwal ever ask for this? This is completely wrong and the Delhi government must answer to the people.”
He further said, “There isn’t a single customer at these liquor shops, because everyone knows that every year under the AAP government, liquor outlets were shut during Chhath. Allowing liquor sales on this day could lead to fights and disturbances near Chhath ghats, creating unsafe conditions for women and children. Most of those consuming alcohol would do so in the very parks where the festival is celebrated.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj asked CM Rekha Gupta, “For whom have these liquor shops been opened on Chhath? They should be shut down immediately. Keeping them open is an insult to the people of Purvanchal and to Chhathi Maiya herself.”
