Portraits removed from CM’s office: Atishi accuses BJP of insulting Baba Saheb, Bhagat Singh

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu):  Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Monday launched a blistering attack at the newly sworn-in BJP government in the national Capital and accused it of belittling and demeaning the legacy of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

The ex-Delhi CM claimed that the portraits of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were removed from all government offices in the national Capital including that of the Delhi Chief Minister and said that this showed the ruling BJP’s "ignorance and abhorrence" for Dalits and Sikhs.

Labelling BJP as anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh, Atishi claimed that during the Kejriwal dispensation, the architect of the Constitution Ambedkar and Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh were held in high-esteem, but they have been pulled down, after the saffron party came to power.

She also shared ‘before and after’ photographs of the portraits of Baba Saheb and Bhagat Singh, hanging on the walls inside the CM’s office.

She said that the AAP delegation got these photographs when it visited Delhi CM Rekha Gupta’s office during lunch hours.

“One gave us the Constitution while the other sacrificed his life for the country’s independence at the age of 23 years. The BJP has insulted them both,” she told media persons.

Atishi said that her party will protest from street to Assembly against such an affront to the nation’s heroes.

“We register strong protest over removal of the portraits. We will lodge a protest inside as well as outside the Assembly,” she stated.

Atishi also slammed the BJP government as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not fulfilling the promises on monthly monetary assistance for women.

"PM Modi had given a guarantee that the first Cabinet meeting of Delhi government will clear the ‘Mahila Samman Yojana’ but nothing has happened so far," she said.

Atishi further said that she met Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and urged her to ensure that women of Delhi get the first instalment of Rs 2,500 by March 8, the day when the nation celebrates the International Women’s Day.