AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj Defends Bengali Culture Amid Row Over Fish Sales in Chittaranjan Park

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi – A political row erupted over cultural practices in Delhi’s Bengali-dominated Chittaranjan Park, after TMC MP Mahua Moitra alleged that "BJP goons" had threatened local fish sellers, targeting the community’s dietary habits during Navratri. In a strong response, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi chief and minister Saurabh Bharadwaj came to the defense of the Bengali community, calling out what he described as the BJP’s "cultural ignorance and selective aggression."

“I believe that the Bengali community in Chittaranjan Park is among the most educated and intelligent people,” Bharadwaj said in response to Moitra’s tweet. “The ignorance of Bengal's culture will cost the BJP heavily.”

He explained that fish and non-vegetarian food are integral to Bengali customs—even during Navratri, when many in northern India traditionally abstain from meat. “In the courtyard where Maa Durga is worshipped, fish and non-vegetarian food are also available. That is their culture,” he emphasized.

Bharadwaj also took aim at the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), stating that it was the official body that allotted shop spaces to the fish sellers and that any attempt to harass them amounted to bullying the poor. “Why does the BJP try its power only on the poor people?” he questioned.

He further challenged the BJP’s stance, pointing to five-star hotels in the capital. “There are so many five-star hotels in Delhi. If you have some courage, go inside those hotels. Why is vegetarian food not being enforced there during Navratri?”