New Delhi, Oct 28 (UNI) A controversy erupted after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that a planned Chhath Puja photoshoot of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Delhi’s Vasudev Ghat was cancelled following reports that a “fake Yamuna” had been created for the event.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, AAP’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had inspected the site and arrangements were completed for Modi’s participation in the ritual. “The BJP government wanted to showcase a clean Yamuna before the Bihar elections by creating a set resembling filtered water,” Bharadwaj claimed.
He alleged that cameras were to be positioned at select locations to project an image of a clean river and that only pre-approved media personnel were to be allowed at the venue. “The Prime Minister was expected to offer arghya to the Sun God, but after the exposure on social media, the plan was dropped,” he said.
Bharadwaj said that the incident was “a lesson in people’s power over propaganda,” adding that “truth eventually prevailed and the planned photoshoot had to be cancelled.” He further claimed that the BJP leadership was “embarrassed by the Delhi government’s handling of the situation” and that questions were being raised over the credibility of data shared by the central government on various issues, including GDP and employment.
The AAP leader also alleged that air quality monitoring stations were switched off on Diwali night to mask pollution levels and that “smog machines and water spraying” were used around monitoring points to lower readings artificially.
Bharadwaj presented clips from television broadcasts that had reported on the Prime Minister’s expected visit to Vasudev Ghat. “Even till early morning, channels were saying the Prime Minister would arrive. But he didn’t,” he said.
According to AAP, the preparations at the ghat were completed and security arrangements were in place, but the Prime Minister did not turn up for the event. The party claimed that this was part of a larger image-building effort before the Bihar elections.
