New Delhi:
The latest flashpoint between Delhi’s new ruling BJP government and the just-defeated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is over the placement – or alleged disappearance – of photos of the nation’s freedom fighters in government offices.
AAP MLA Atishi alleged Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has removed the photos of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh from every Delhi government office.
“The anti-Dalit mentality of the BJP is well-known. Today, proof of its anti-Dalit mentality has been presented. Arvind Kejriwal put up photos of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh in every office of the Delhi government,” Atishi told reporters.
“Since the BJP came to power, it removed both photos from the chief minister’s office. This shows the BJP is an anti-Dalit, anti-Sikh party,” the former chief minister said.
Another video of Ms Gupta’s office, however, shows both the photos of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh are still there, though hung on two opposite walls.
The middle wall which had the two photos when Atishi sat in this office now has the photos of President Droupadi Murmu on the left, Mahatma Gandhi in the centre, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the right.
BJP spokesperson RP Singh told NDTV the AAP is making an issue out of nothing, unable to digest the defeat in the recent assembly election after a run in power for 10 years in the national capital.
Mr Singh said the chief minister has got nothing to do with the placement or selection of the photos, as it is the administration’s work.
“There is a protocol and it is decided by the administration, not by the chief minister. As per protocol, the photos will be there, whether it is of Baba Saheb, Bhagat Singh, or Mahatma Gandhi. At times there are pictures of the Prime Minister and Mahatma Gandhi also,” Mr Singh said.
“Ask them [AAP] what pictures were there when they came. The photos of Mahatma Gandhi ji and the Prime Minister were there. People have already rejected and thrown the AAP out. Creating such issues are not going to help them,” he said, adding that as per protocol, the pictures of the Prime Minister and the President should be there.
