AAP Accuses Delhi Police of Harassing Durga Puja Committees
Saurabh Bharadwaj accused Delhi Police of targeting the Bengali community by cutting electricity and restricting pandal hours in Chittaranjan Park to enforce noise rules.
A political confrontation has emerged between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Delhi Police over noise restrictions at Durga Puja pandals in Chittaranjan Park. Saurabh Bharadwaj, the AAP president in Delhi, accused law enforcement of harassing the Bengali community and disrupting celebrations by mandating a 10:00 PM closure for loudspeakers, a shift from the midnight deadline in previous years.
Bharadwaj alleged that police constables forcibly entered the B Block pandal and cut electrical connections, damaging equipment. He warned that reducing the evening window by two hours would cause crowd swells and increase the risk of stampedes. He further claimed a double standard in enforcement, arguing that Ram Leela celebrations are permitted to continue past midnight while the Bengali community faces "stepmotherly treatment."
The Delhi Police and the Deputy Commissioner of Police for South Delhi rejected these allegations, stating that interventions were necessary to ensure compliance with court-mandated noise pollution rules. Police officials asserted that some organizers continued playing loud music past permitted hours despite prior agreements. The Delhi Traffic Police also implemented restrictions on private vehicle entry into Chittaranjan Park and Greater Kailash-II from 4:00 PM to midnight to manage heavy footfall during the festivities.
