New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal, the National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), criticized the newly elected BJP-led government for removing a photograph of BR Ambedkar from the Delhi Chief Minister’s office. In a post on X, Kejriwal expressed that this action has offended millions of Ambedkar’s followers, stating, “The new BJP government of Delhi removed Babasaheb’s photo and replaced it with Prime Minister Modi’s. This is not right.”
Kejriwal urged the BJP to reconsider their decision, saying, “You can display the Prime Minister’s photo, but please do not remove Babasaheb’s. Let his photo stay.”
Atishi, the former Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, accused the BJP of harboring an anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh bias. In her own post on X, she remarked, “BJP has revealed its true anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh nature,” highlighting that the images of Ambedkar and revolutionary Bhagat Singh had been taken down from the Chief Minister’s office. She shared a photo showing herself as CM with Ambedkar’s image in the background, contrasted with a recent image of the new CM, Rekha Gupta, which featured photos of President Droupadi Murmu, Mahatma Gandhi, and Prime Minister Modi.
During the first session of the eighth Delhi Assembly, where CM Rekha Gupta and newly elected MLAs took their oaths, Atishi met with Gupta and later held a press conference. She claimed the BJP’s removal of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh’s photos from government offices is evidence of their anti-Dalit stance, which she described as well-known. Atishi asserted that Arvind Kejriwal had previously ensured these figures were honored in every government office.
Additionally, Atishi expressed concerns over the delay in the implementation of the Mahila Samman Yojana, a scheme promised by Prime Minister Modi to provide financial support to women in Delhi. She noted that despite attempts to meet with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, they were not granted an audience for two days. Atishi criticized the BJP for failing to fulfill its commitments, stating that the promise made during Modi’s first cabinet meeting regarding the scheme remains unfulfilled.