'BJP has learnt nothing...': AAP accuses Delhi Police of harassment in CR Park during Durga Puja, cops cite noise rules

A dispute over noise restrictions at Durga Puja pandals in south Delhi's CR Park has triggered a political confrontation, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accusing the BJP-led government and Delhi Police of disrupting celebrations and targeting organisers. The police have rejected the allegations, maintaining that their intervention was intended to ensure compliance with court-mandated noise pollution rules. The row intensified after AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bhardwaj questioned the restrictions imposed on puja committees, alleging that they faced harassment and were being treated differently from organisers of other religious events. In a series of posts on X, Bhardwaj appealed to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to intervene. "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. When the Delhi Govt talks about 24x7 businesses and shops, and most Ram-leelas are allowed past midnight, why the stepmotherly treatment for the Bengali community?" he wrote. Bhardwaj, a former MLA from Greater Kailash, the constituency that includes CR Park, also alleged that police personnel entered the B Block Durga Puja pandal without permission and disconnected its electricity, damaging equipment in the process. He further argued that limiting the duration of celebrations could create crowd-management problems, warning that the restrictions might lead to a situation similar to the deadly stampede at Kolkata's Chorbagan Durga Puja. "BJP has learnt nothing from the West Bengal Durga Puja tragedy. Every year, lakhs of Bengalis and non-Bengalis visit CR Park puja pandals for Durga Puja. It's an annual ritual, with most visiting in the evenings," Bhardwaj said. He alleged that puja committees had been told this year that pandals and loudspeakers could operate only until 10 pm, compared with midnight last year. According to him, the shorter window could push more visitors into a limited period, increasing the risk of overcrowding. "This year, committees claim pandals and loudspeakers are permitted only till 10 PM against 12 AM last year. 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," he added. The Delhi Police dismissed the allegations, saying its actions were limited to enforcing noise pollution regulations. In a post on X, the official account of the deputy commissioner of police for South Delhi said, "Recent claims regarding the CR Park Durga Puja pandal are incorrect. Police intervention is only to ensure court rules on noise pollution. The organisers kept playing loud music past the permitted time, despite agreeing to the rules in earlier meetings." Bhardwaj challenged the police response, questioning whether officials had clearly communicated the applicable cut-off time and why action was allegedly taken before the deadline. He also drew a comparison with Ramleela events, which he claimed had continued beyond midnight. "Police tweets have become like PM Modi's Bhashan - just rhetoric, no substance. Which information is incorrect? Did police forcibly cut the electric connection at CR Park Durga Puja? I called your SHO, and he said he does not know the officially notified cut-off time. Is it a joke? If the permitted time is 12 AM, why were Puja Committee members harassed and humiliated before that cut-off? If the official time is 10 pm, why did BJP-backed Ramlila continue beyond 12 am? Govt cannot send paramilitary forces into a Puja Pandal to heckle organisers," he wrote.