AAP claims Delhi police replaced Kejriwal’s banner with PM Modi’s at govt event

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal gave the event a skip on Sunday morning amid the new poster row and the rising tension between the Delhi government and the lieutenant governor

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday skipped a programme where he was going to launch the Delhi government’s plantation drive jointly with the lieutenant governor VK Saxena, hours after the Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai accused the Delhi Police of “hijacking” the event by replacing hoardings displaying chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s photo with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at venue of the event, Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai claimed that the Delhi police tried to hijack the mega-plantation drive upon the direction of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). (Twitter @AamAadmiParty)

In a press conference on Sunday, Rai said that the Delhi Police personnel “took control of the stage and the venue late Saturday night ,and were present there till Sunday”.

It was the third flashpoint to emerge in just four days in the escalating confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi and the LG nominated by the BJP-led central government. On Thursday, the LG shot down a proposal by the Delhi government for Kejriwal’s visit to Singapore to attend a summit there, and on Friday, the LG recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the state government’s excise policy.

In photographs shared by the Delhi government, policemen can be seen around the main stage and at the venue, where several banners with pictures of the Delhi CM are torn and strewn about. The banner on the stage bears a photo of the Prime Minister on one side and photographs of the LG and CM on the other side of the banner. In comparison, the original banner shared by Rai shows the photo of CM Kejriwal on one side and LG Saxena on the other.

While Kejriwal gave the event a skip on Sunday morning, Saxena attended it and planted a sapling. Rai also did not attend the event, which saw the participation of South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri, chief secretary Naresh Kumar, commissioner of police Rakesh Asthana and senior officials of the forest and environment department.

“This year, we are planning to plant over 3.5 million saplings across the Capital. To achieve this target, we were carrying out Van Mahotsav, a mega tree plantation drive, July 11 onwards, under which various MLAs and Cabinet ministers of the Delhi government participated and encouraged plantation. Today (Sunday) was the last day of this plantation drive and was to be carried out at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary where 100,000 saplings were to be planted, with both the Delhi chief minister and the Delhi lieutenant governor scheduled to take part in this event. However, it is unfortunate to inform everyone that for this event which has been organised by the Delhi government, Delhi Police was sent to the venue last night on directions of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the police took charge of the stage and the pandal which had been set up at the venue,” Rai said at the press conference.

Rai also alleged that police warned the on-ground staff that if they remove this new hoarding, then action will be taken against them, adding that the job of the Delhi Police is to provide protection to people and not forcibly remove and install banners at night.

No reaction was available from the Prime Minister’s Office on Rai’s allegations.

Delhi Police spokesperson and south district’s deputy commissioner of police also refused to comment on the matter.

An official from the LG’s office said, “After remaining absent at the scheduled weekly meeting with the LG on Friday citing ill health, CM Arvind Kejriwal today skipped a pre-decided combined programme of tree plantation at Bhatti Mines in the capital, again due to ill health. Everything had to be mutually decided. The environment and forest departments of the Delhi government had organised the programme. The AAP government did not deliberately invite even the area MP, despite the fact that during the last joint visit to the Bhatti Mines by LG and CM, they ensured their area MLA to be present. Although, they were asked specifically to not invite MP or MLA and give a political hue to the visit,” the official, who asked not to be named, said.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj hit back at the claims by the LG office. He said the Delhi chief minister decided not to attend the programme since it was turned into a “political event”. “Due to his hate and jealousy towards CM Arvind Kejriwal, all the hoardings from Civil Lines to Asola Bhatti Mines have been torn down because there was CM Arvind Kejriwal’s photo on it,” said Bharadwaj.

At the event, Saxena said that he expected the chief minister to be present. “I wanted chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to attend this event but due to some reasons, he could not.”

“This is a programme where all of us should work together. I expect him to be present at future events to give a message that we want to work together for Delhi’s development,” the LG said, according to ANI.

Rai, however, said that it was never the intention of the government to create a row. He said that the government had invited LG, and made preparations to welcome him.

“The LG was invited to grace the occasion and we made all the preparations to welcome him. But involving the police in the middle of the night has turned this into a political event. We don’t want a tussle with anyone. We have run plantation drives in the past as well, which have been a massive success as we have already planted 21 million saplings, and we will remain committed in our pursuit of making Delhi clean and green,” he added.

“The Centre has been trying to attack the Kejriwal-led government over the past few weeks in different ways. Our cabinet minister Satyendar Jain was arrested in a false case. They are also trying to frame deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in another case and recently, the chief minister’s trip to Singapore was also stopped by the Centre,” Rai added.

Leader of the opposition in Delhi assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the fact that the chief minister skipped the event shows the “narrow mindedness” of Delhi government.

“The CM should know that the land on which Asola Bhatti is located belongs to the central government. Political differences are always there, but the conduct of CM Kejriwal is something that is not expected of a chief minister. His behaviour is not even in accordance with the protocol,” Bidhuri added.