AAP alleges PM Modi cancelled Chhath Puja event at "fake Yamuna" amid social media backlash
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled a scheduled Chhath Puja appearance at Vasudev Ghat in Delhi after accusations of a "fake Yamuna" being created for a photoshoot went viral on social media. AAP leader and Delhi Convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed the event was orchestrated by the BJP-led government in Delhi to project a clean image of the river ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections.
Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj asserted that the BJP government, under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, had manufactured an artificial setup with filtered water to mislead the public. "The BJP government wanted to showcase a clean Yamuna before the Bihar elections by creating a set resembling filtered water," Bharadwaj stated, adding that the plan was exposed on social media, leading to the cancellation of the Prime Minister's visit.
The allegations were amplified by Bharadwaj in a post on X (formerly Twitter), where he wrote, "PM Modi cancels his Chhath Puja & Surya Arghya at 'Fake Yamuna' manufactured at Vasudev Ghat. BJP leadership seems quite embarrassed that their CM @gupta_rekha Govt’s fraud on Pollution has been exposed widely on Social Media."
According to AAP, extensive preparations, including security arrangements and inspections by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), were made at the ghat. Bharadwaj claimed that the last-minute cancellation caused "embarrassment" for the BJP leadership and undermined the credibility of the central government's data on pollution and other issues.
However, reports from Hindustan Hindi noted that there had been no official announcement from the BJP or the PMO regarding Prime Minister Modi's participation in a Chhath Puja event at any Yamuna ghat in Delhi. The claims of a scheduled and subsequently cancelled event have originated from AAP. The BJP has not yet issued a formal response to the allegations.
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J’khand: All 7 on board air ambulance killed in crash, bodies brought to hospital for post-mortem
Ranchi (PTI): All seven persons on board an air ambulance were killed after the aircraft crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, and their bodies have been brought to a hospital for post-mortem examination, officials said on Tuesday.
The Beechcraft C90 air ambulance, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was en route to Delhi from Ranchi when it crashed on Monday evening in the Bariatu Panchayat area of Simaria, located deep inside a forest, killing all seven onboard, including two pilots.
"We have brought all the seven bodies for post-mortem at Sadar Hospital, Chatra. The crash is being investigated," an official told PTI.
ALSO READ: Air ambulance with 7 onboard to Delhi from Ranchi crashes in Jharkhand's Chatra
The aircraft took off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm and went missing around 7.30 pm. It lost contact with the air traffic control about 20 minutes after departure, he said.
Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar said inclement weather could be a possible reason behind the crash, though the exact cause would be ascertained after a detailed probe.
Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari said the state government will conduct a probe into how permission was given to the aircraft to fly during “inclement weather”. He also said proper compensation would be given to the kin of the deceased.
Terming the crash extremely unfortunate, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said unpleasant weather could be one of the reasons, which will be determined by the probe.
In a post on X, former chief minister and BJP leader Champai Soren said he was deeply saddened.
The deceased have been identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.
Meanwhile, a lingering sense of grief prevailed in Chatra district, as the near and dear ones of those killed in the crash expressed shock and disbelief.
Bajrangi Prasad, the father of deceased Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, said he had sold all his land to make his son a doctor, who was posted at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi.
"He has a seven-year-old son... He was meritorious and had completed his MBBS from Odisha’s Cuttack," Prasad, who hails from Bihar’s Aurangabad district, said.
Family members of Sanjay Kumar (41), however, blamed the “poor” health infrastructure behind the tragedy.
"Had we given proper treatment to my brother-in-law Sanjay in Ranchi, precious lives could have been saved. I lost both both Sanjay and sister Archana Devi in the incident," Kumar said.
Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G had earlier told PTI that the bodies of all seven deceased were retrieved from the crash site and shifted to Chatra hospital for post-mortem examination.
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the Beechcraft C90 aircraft (VT-AJV) was operating a medical evacuation flight on the Ranchi-Delhi sector when it crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district.
“The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi,” it said, adding that there were seven people on board, including two crew members.
An Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team has been dispatched to the crash site.
According to the DGCA website, Delhi-based non-scheduled operator Redbird has six aircraft in its fleet, including the one that crashed.
Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi, told PTI that the air ambulance was arranged by one of their patients.
"The patient, Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, was brought to the hospital with 65 per cent burn injuries on February 16. He was being treated in the hospital," he said.
The family members decided to take him to Delhi for better treatment, Sinha said.
"They arranged for an air ambulance on Monday. The patient left the hospital for Delhi around 4.30 pm," he said.
