AAP protests alleged removal of Ambedkar & Bhagat Singh portraits; BJP calls it distraction

New Delhi The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of removing portraits of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh from the office of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. However, the BJP has denied the allegation, accusing AAP of attempting to distract attention from the upcoming Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, which is expected to highlight corruption during the AAP’s tenure in power.

The Delhi BJP shared images of the chief minister’s office on social media, showcasing portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, the President, and the Prime Minister displayed in the offices of both the chief minister and other ministers.

In January 2022, then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had instructed that only the portraits of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh should be displayed in government offices, excluding those of any other political leaders. Atishi, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly and former Chief Minister, raised the issue in the first session of the newly constituted Assembly, calling out the BJP for what she described as an anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh stance. “It is unfortunate that the Delhi Assembly is being led by a party that removes the portraits of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh, showing its disrespect towards the Dalit and Sikh communities,” she said.

In a press conference, Atishi shared a recent photograph of the CM’s office, captured during a meeting with AAP MLAs, which showed the absence of the two portraits. She accused the BJP of disrespecting Ambedkar and the Sikh community, stating that AAP would protest both inside the Assembly and on the streets.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal also voiced his concern, stating that the removal of Ambedkar’s portrait hurt millions of his followers. “The BJP government has removed Babasaheb’s photograph and replaced it with one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is not right,” Kejriwal said, urging the BJP to keep Ambedkar’s

portrait in place.

In response, BJP Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa dismissed the allegations as a diversion tactic by AAP, seeking to divert attention from the impending CAG report, which is expected to expose corruption. Another BJP leader, Ravinder Indraj, accused AAP of acting out of desperation due to the forthcoming CAG report. “Their leaders fear facing the consequences of the report, which is why they are trying to create distractions,” he said.

BJP Cabinet Minister Parvesh Verma criticised AAP, accusing its MLAs of disrupting the House and undermining the Assembly’s dignity. He alleged the opposition had contributed little to Delhi’s development over the past decade and condemned their conduct in the Assembly as unacceptable.