"BJP is anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh": AAP protests removal of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh photos at Delhi CM office

AAP MLAs protest in Delhi assembly over removal of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh's photos, accusing BJP of being "anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh".

New Delhi: A ruckus erupted in the Delhi assembly on Monday, the first day of the session, as AAP MLAs protested against the alleged removal of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh's photos from the CM office. Led by Atishi, the protest accused the ruling BJP of being "anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh".

Atishi took to X to post two contrasting photos: one featuring BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh from her tenure as CM, and another showcasing Mahatma Gandhi, President Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the BJP regime. This sparked a heated debate, with Atishi questioning whether the BJP thought PM Modi was greater than Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party today has shown its anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh face to the country. Soon after coming to power, they removed pictures of Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh from the CM Office. Does BJP think PM Narendra Modi ji is greater than Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh?", Atishi asked. 

Arvind Kejriwal, ex-Delhi CM and AAP chief, chimed in, accusing the BJP of hurting the sentiments of millions of Ambedkar's followers. Kejriwal requested the BJP to reinstate Ambedkar's photo alongside Modi's, emphasizing that removing it was not right.

"The new BJP government in Delhi removed Babasaheb's photo and replaced it with Prime Minister Modi's photo. This is not right. It has hurt the sentiments of millions of Babasaheb's followers. I request the BJP to go ahead and put up the Prime Minister's photo, but please do not remove Babasaheb's photo. Let his photo remain," Kejriwal wrote on X.

The protest led to a 15-minute adjournment of the house, with newly elected assembly speaker Vijendra Gupta accusing the AAP of disrupting the house with pre-planned intentions. Gupta urged the opposition to maintain the dignity of the house, emphasizing that it was not a platform for politics.