Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis participated in the Chhath Puja celebrations at Juhu beach on Monday morning. Mr. Fadnavis arrived at 5.30 a.m. on invitation by Mumbai BJP general secretary Amarjeet Mishra, and stayed for an hour. “Offering prayer to the rising sun has spiritual and scientific advantages. The sun is the most precious gift to the inhabitants of earth. We cannot imagine life without the sun,” he said.
One of the biggest festivals for people from Bihar & north India, the Chhath Puja was targetted by the Maharashgtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray during his violent campaign against north Indian migrants in 2007-8, angering the north Indian voters in Mumbai.
However, Chhath Puja celebrations passed off peacefully without any such controversy marring the festival.
With an esitmated 22 lakh north Indian voters in Mumbai who could play a crucial role in the forthcoming civic elections in Mumbai and Thane in February 2017, all Congress and the BJP are wooing them.
While the Congress criticised the Mumbai BJP for going all out to woo north Indian voters, Mr Mishra said, “Our party in not using this festival stage for any political mileage and that’s the reason even CM did not utter a word about supporting BJP for the upcoming civic elections. He came early morning, greeted devotees and spent a good time with them. He said we should respect the culture and festival of all religions. We have organised this event this year for a social cause and without any connection with elections.”
