New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS): Reacting to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's letter to Union Health Minister over Chhath Puja row, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday said that if Delhi government was keen to allow the festivities to take place in the national capital, it would have asked Centre to issue guidelines before the DDMA order was passed.

In a letter dated October 13 to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Tiwari blamed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for appeasement.

He wrote that the Chhath Puja is not just a festival of Purvanchal Community but an integral part of India's culture, tradition and history as well.

On Tuesday, AAP leader Manish Sisodia in a letter addressed to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked the Centre to issue appropriate Covid-19 guidelines after consulting health experts and stakeholders so that people of Delhi can celebrate the festival safely.

Post the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) order that restricted Chhath Puja celebrations in public places in the city, advising people to celebrate the same at their homes, Northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari, who is also a prominent face in the purvanchal community, has picked a bone with the Delhi government.

Delhi BJP on Tuesday demonstrated in front of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence, where North East Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari got hurt by water canon.

Earlier, Tiwari had said that he would defy DDMA's orders to celebrate the festival, most popular in Bihar, Jharkhand and some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, the AAP has condemned the recent press meet on Chhath Puja by Delhi BJP saying, "The health and lives of people are most important for us. We feel sad that BJP is playing dirty politics over it. BJP has no concern for the lives of the people," it said in a statement.