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New Delhi: This year’s Durga Puja celebrations have been marked by unexpected, surprisingly invasive interlopers – Delhi Police officials and CRPF personnel.

On the first day, at 11 pm at one pandal, police officers clambered onto the stage, interrupted the musician and put a stop to the performance. Among them was a Delhi Police sub-inspector in uniform.

Saturday night saw what was deemed even more egregious. At about 11-11:30, 20 CRPF jawans strode into the B Block Chittaranjan Park pandal with lathis. This was as celebrations were tapering to an end. Those who remained were merely eating dinner or chatting among themselves when the forces entered.

“It is completely unprecedented because for Durga Puja, permission is given till 12. We don’t keep anything open after that,” said Prodip Ganguly, executive committee and chairman of the cultural committee of the C.R. Park Kali Mandir Society. “Everything is done as per instructions and regulations, but still they interfere.”

Durga Puja in C.R. Park is one of those characteristically Delhi........

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