AAP, BJP spar over tricolour in S Delhi

The Delhi government is currently installing 500 high-mast national flags across the Capital as part of its celebrations to mark the country’s 75th year of Independence.

A war of words erupted between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators in the Delhi assembly on Thursday after AAP MLA Somnath Bharti alleged that a BJP councillor has opposed the installation of a high-mast Tricolour at a park in his constituency of Malviya Nagar. He also alleged that the councillor was acting at the behest of the BJP and the RSS.

The government, through the project, aims to instil a sense of patriotism among citizens. (AFP)

The Delhi government is currently installing 500 high-mast national flags across the Capital as part of its celebrations to mark the country’s 75th year of Independence. The government, through the project, aims to instil a sense of patriotism among citizens.

Raising the matter in the assembly, Bharti said permission was taken from the south corporation to install a high-mast tricolour in Maharaja Sursaini Park in Malviya Nagar.

“When we visited the site, some people arrived there and objected to us installing the national flag. When I asked them why they were objecting, they said they use the park to set up RSS shakhas (meetings), and hence only their flag can be hoisted in the park. We tried to convince them to let the tricolour be installed. Later, we received a call from BJP councillor Anil Saini who asked us to immediately halt the tricolour installation. The councillor proclaimed that he would not let us install the flag in Maharaja Sursaini Park at any cost,” Bharti said.

Soon, legislators from both the treasury and opposition benches entered the well of the house.

As the ruckus continued despite several warnings from speaker Ram Niwas Goel, he ordered that BJP MLAs Vijender Gupta and Jitendra Mahajan be marshalled out.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia accused BJP leaders of disregarding the Tricolour and he dared them to stop the AAP from installing the high-mast flags.

“If any BJP councillor has the audacity to say the Tricolour cannot be installed at a site because a certain group hoists their own flag there, there can be no bigger treason. There can be no bigger anti-national than him,” Sisodia said.

He also said opposing the installation of the national flag amounted to insulting the martyrs who laid down their lives for the country. “Every thread of this Tricolour stands for every drop of blood our soldiers have sacrificed for this nation,” Sisodia said, before wondering aloud why the BJP did not even condemn the act.

“The BJP should apologise to every Indian,” Sisodia said.

Later, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta said he was marshalled out of the assembly as he objected to Bharti’s “unparliamentary remarks”.

“Bharti said the RSS is the enemy of the national flag. The AAP is using the brute majority it has (in assembly) to defame the nationalists,” he said.

Anil Kumar Saini, BJP councillor from Hauz Khas ward, refuted Bharti’s allegations. “He has lied in the assembly. The national flag belongs to all of us and our forefathers have sacrificed their lives for it. Why would we not want flag to be installed? Our only request to the team was not to dig in the green area which has been meticulously maintained by residents. The flag can be installed in the centre of the park,” Kumar said.

He said claims about shakhas being held at the spot were lies.