NEW DELHI: Saurabh Bharadwaj has accused Delhi Police of harassing the Bengali community and Durga Puja committees in Chittaranjan Park (CR Park), alleging that police personnel forcibly disconnected electricity at a pandal and damaged equipment. He also warned that restrictions on Puja celebrations could lead to overcrowding, drawing a parallel with the Kolkata stampede that killed 17 people on Saturday.In a post on X addressed to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president claimed that the community and Puja organisers were facing unprecedented harassment.“Attention @LtGovDelhi saab, Delhi Police officers are harassing the Bengali community and CR Park Durga Puja Committees like never before. This community is one of the most decent and well-educated sections of Delhi,” he wrote.Questioning the alleged disparity in the treatment of different cultural events, Bharadwaj referred to the Delhi government’s position on allowing shops and businesses to operate round the clock and said most Ram Leela celebrations were permitted to continue past midnight.“When the Delhi Govt talks about 24×7 businesses and shops, and most Ram-leelas are allowed past midnight, why the stepmotherly treatment for the Bengali community?” he asked.Bharadwaj also alleged that police constables entered the B Block Durga Puja pandal on Saturday and cut its electricity connections. “Yesterday, police constables barged into the B Block Durga Puja pandal and forcibly cut the electrical connections, damaging their equipment. This is not done,” he said.In another post on X, Bharadwaj criticised the BJP over the reported West Bengal Durga Puja tragedy and raised concerns about crowd management at the Puja pandals.“BJP has learnt nothing from the West Bengal Durga Puja tragedy,” he wrote.He claimed that lakhs of people, including Bengalis and non-Bengalis, visit CR Park’s Puja pandals every year, particularly in the evenings. He further alleged that Puja committees had been told that pandals and loudspeakers could operate only until 10 pm this year, compared with midnight last year.
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“Squeezing the evening window by 2 hours will cause crowd swell and chaos. This could lead to a West Bengal-type situation, and the government will prosecute puja committees to hide its own shortcomings,” Bharadwaj alleged.Meanwhile, the Delhi Traffic Police has announced restrictions in CR Park, Greater Kailash-II and adjoining areas of South Delhi from October 16 to 20, between 4 pm and midnight, citing the expected influx of visitors and limited road space around the pandals.Private vehicles belonging to visitors and devotees will not be allowed to enter CR Park and Greater Kailash-II during the restricted hours. Commuters have been advised to use the Delhi Metro, with taxi and auto-rickshaw drop-off points designated at Greater Kailash and Nehru Enclave Metro stations. The police has also warned that illegally parked vehicles or those obstructing traffic may be towed and prosecuted.The restrictions are scheduled to remain in place until October 20.
