BJP, AAP engage in war of words over Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh portraits at Delhi CM office

New Delhi: The ruling BJP and opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday started a new legislative innings on a stormy note with Delhi Assembly witnessing protests by the latter claiming that photos of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were removed from the office of Chief Minister while the BJP claimed that its rival was trying to pre-empt the tabling of CAG reports.

BJP countered AAP allegations by saying that the images continue to be in the room of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta while photos of Mahatma Gandhi, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were newly added.

It also promised a media tour of the contentious ‘Sheesh Mahal’, the renovated residence where Arvind Kejriwal stayed as Chief Minister.

The proceedings started with oath taking of MLAs followed by the election of senior BJP MLA Vijender Gupta as Speaker.

He was elected unanimously.

However, the Assembly premises turned a protest site as AAP MLAs first gathered outside the Chief Minister’s office in the Assembly with posters, demanding an audience with Rekha Gupta on the issue of the BJP “not fulfilling” its poll promise of monthly allowance of Rs 2,500 for women.

Later, Leader of Opposition Atishi alleged that the images of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were removed from Rekha Gupta’s office and AAP MLAs staged a protest. They raised slogans inside the Assembly also, leading to an adjournment of the proceedings after the Speaker criticised AAP for disrupting the functioning.

Atishi alleged that the removal of the photos exposed the “anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh” mindset of the BJP.

BJP refuted the allegations saying no photos were removed. Images provided by  BJP and a comparison with the one shared by AAP showed that the photos of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were shifted to a different wall to accommodate the pictures of Gandhi, Murmu and Modi on the wall behind the Chief Minister’s table.

BJP Ministers like Parvesh Verma and Manjinder Singh Sirsa claimed that AAP was trying to create a narrative to save itself from the tabling of CAG reports on Tuesday, as it would “expose AAP’s corruption”. Verma said the media will be given a tour of ‘Sheesh Mahal’, the contentious government bungalow which was renovated in an extravagant manner.

On Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena will address the Assembly and a discussion on the LG’s address will follow.