Why politicise Ganga aarti issue, Arvind Kejriwal asks Narendra Modi

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal asked the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Thursday why was he politicising the issue of prayer rituals at the Ganga river when the Election Commission has given him the permission for Ganga aarti.

Showing a letter from the Election Commission which gave Modi permission to perform Ganga aarti, Kejriwal added, "To perform rituals, there is no need of permission from EC. Permission from EC is required only for political activities."

Here is EC's Permission to Modi ji for Ganga Arti. Then why doesn't he just go and perform arti? Why politicise it? pic.twitter.com/9HWNFKXyd0

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 8, 2014

"Why doesn't he (Modi) go and perform (the) aarti (prayer ritual)? Why politicise it?" Kejriwal said in a tweet. He went on to write that he was not stopped by anyone when he visited a temple near the banks of the Ganga.

Hitting out at Modi, Kejriwal said that intentions need to be clear. "I will again go today (Thursday) with my wife (to the temple)," he said.

The EC has denied Modi permission to hold a rally in Varanasi, against which the BJP workers are protesting.