Former Delhi chief minister Atishi has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of relegating Dr. B R Ambedkar’s legacy by replacing his portrait with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in key government offices.
A controversy erupted when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged on Monday that the portraits of Dr. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were removed from the office of newly-appointed Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The BJP hit back at the AAP accusing it of trying to divert attention from upcoming CAG reports to be tabled in the Delhi Assembly.
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Lambasting the BJP for allegedly undermining Dr. Ambedkar, Atishi, the leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly, accused the ruling party of replacing the portrait of the Dalit icon with that of Prime Minister Modi in various government offices, including the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and the Assembly.
“Does the BJP believe that PM Modi is greater than Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar,” Atishi asked after her suspension from the assembly on Tuesday. Pointing at the disparity in treatment, she said while AAP MLAs were suspended for raising slogans in support of Dr. Ambedkar, BJP MLAs were allowed to raise slogans in favour of Modi without any action being taken.
“This shows that the BJP despises Dr. Ambedkar,” Atishi said.
The senior AAP leader claimed that portraits of Modi have been placed in the same locations where Dr. Ambedkar’s portrait once hung. “In the Delhi Secretariat, Vidhan Sabha, and the offices of all Delhi government ministers, Ambedkar’s photo has been replaced with Modi’s,” she added.
Atishi called for a protest until Dr. Ambedkar is restored to his rightful place in all government offices. “The BJP’s actions show their arrogance and belief that Modi can take the place of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. This is why AAP will continue to protest until Ambedkar is given the dignity he deserves,” she asserted.
