A centuries-old festival in Delhi has become the latest flashpoint in a political tug-of-war, with the Lieutenant Governor and AAP trading blame over delayed permissions and heritage preservation.

Delhi’s iconic ‘Phool Walon Ki Sair’, a centuries-old festival celebrating the city’s syncretic Ganga-Jamuni culture, is set to return next year, but not without a political storm. Permission to organise the festival had been delayed, prompting Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena to intervene and order the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to grant approval.

According to Raj Niwas officials, the delay was linked to a November 28, 2023, order issued by the then AAP government’s Environment and Forest Department, which prohibited festivals in the southern Ridge area. The DDA had granted permission for the festival regularly until 2023 and even facilitated the 2024 event, but this year the organisers insisted on a written clearance before proceeding.

“The LG took serious exception to a centuries-old festival being denied permission,” a Raj Niwas official said.