AAP, BJP spar over Ambedkar portrait, CAG report; Atishi, 20 other MLAs suspended

New Delhi: A major political showdown unfolded in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday as MLAs from the Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaged in a heated protest amid uproar and chaos in the House, resulting in the suspension of Leader of Opposition Atishi and 20 other AAP MLAs.

The protest erupted over allegations that the BJP had replaced a portrait of Dr B R Ambedkar with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in key government offices. The House descended into turmoil over the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the excise policy. The incident sparked an intense verbal clash between AAP and BJP members, with Atishi accusing the BJP of disrespecting the Dalit icon’s legacy.

The drama escalated when AAP legislators raised slogans in the Assembly, demanding the reinstatement of Dr Ambedkar’s portrait.

The suspension of 21 AAP MLAs, including Atishi, was for three days for disrupting Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena’s inaugural address to the newly constituted House.

The proposal for their suspension was moved by Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma and passed through a voice vote in the House. The suspended MLAs will not be allowed to participate in Assembly proceedings on February 27 and 28. Meanwhile, the Delhi Assembly session has been extended by two days till March 3.

As the House proceedings began on Tuesday, Atishi, along with other AAP legislators, protested against the alleged removal of Dr B R Ambedkar’s portrait from the Chief Minister’s office. The AAP MLAs accused the BJP-led government of disrespecting Ambedkar and raised slogans against the move.

Speaker Vijender Gupta expressed disappointment over the disruptions, stating, “When the Assembly session began, we hoped that both the ruling party and the Opposition would work together for development, as today’s discussion was very important.”

With AAP holding 22 seats in the Delhi Assembly, all but Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan have been suspended. Khan was absent from the House.

Speaking to the media after her suspension, Atishi lashed out at the BJP, declaring, “The moment the BJP came to power in Delhi, it replaced Babasaheb Ambedkar’s portrait in the CM and ministers’ offices with that of PM Modi. This is an insult to Babasaheb, and we will not accept it.”

The AAP leader further accused the BJP of sidelining Ambedkar’s contributions to the nation by replacing his portrait with Modi’s. “Is Narendra Modi greater than Babasaheb Ambedkar? The BJP’s arrogance is such that they believe Modi can replace Babasaheb Ambedkar. This shows their true mentality—they hate Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Atishi said angrily.

In response, the BJP defended its actions, claiming that portraits of Ambedkar, along with those of other national leaders, remained in place. The party shared photographs from the Chief Minister’s office to refute AAP’s allegations. Delhi BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also accused AAP of diverting attention from more pressing issues, including corruption charges highlighted in CAG reports.

Bhandari called the protest a “deliberate distraction” aimed at shifting focus from the financial mismanagement detailed in the CAG findings.

Despite the BJP’s defence, Atishi and other AAP MLAs remained undeterred. After their suspension, they took their protest outside the Assembly, carrying posters of Dr Ambedkar and chanting slogans like “Jai Bhim” and “Babasaheb ka Apmaan, Nahin Sahega Hindustan” (“India will not tolerate the insult of Babasaheb”).

Atishi reaffirmed their commitment to the protest, stating, “We will not stop until Babasaheb Ambedkar’s portrait is restored to its rightful place. This is about respect for Babasaheb’s legacy.”

The clash intensified when AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha also weighed in, accusing the BJP of showing “blatant disrespect” to Ambedkar. “When we raised the issue, the Speaker suspended us instead of addressing our concerns. This clearly shows that the BJP doesn’t care about Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Jha argued. Meanwhile, the BJP seized the opportunity to accuse AAP of trying to avoid scrutiny over the newly tabled CAG reports, which included details of an alleged excise policy scam involving the AAP government. Senior BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa claimed that AAP was using the portrait issue to divert attention from corruption allegations. “The moment these CAG reports are discussed, AAP’s mismanagement will be exposed, and they will have to face legal action,” Sirsa asserted.

Atishi, meanwhile, defended the now-scrapped excise policy of the previous AAP government, citing a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report to claim that the old policy was plagued by corruption and smuggling.

A performance audit report by the CAG on the regulation and supply of liquor in Delhi highlighted lapses in the functioning of the excise department, leading to revenue losses exceeding Rs 2,026.91 crore. Addressing a press conference, Atishi alleged that interference by the BJP-appointed lieutenant governor (LG), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) led to the scrapping of the new liquor policy, causing an annual revenue loss of Rs 8,900 crore to Delhi.

Atishi demanded an investigation into the roles of the LG, CBI, and ED in obstructing the policy’s implementation.