LG hits back after Sisodia sends him file on religious structures

In an order issued on Tuesday, lieutenant governor VK Saxena said that deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has taken a “dichotomous stance”

A day after the deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia issued an appeal to lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena to “prevent the demolition of religious structures for infrastructure development projects” because they have a “strong emotional connect” with people, the LG secretariat on Tuesday said that Sisodia was “engaging in doublespeak and hypocrisy” by “pretending to protect from demolition” religious structures that were originally “recommended to be demolished by the deputy CM and CM and sent to the LG for his nod”.

On Monday, Sisodia said that modifications could be made to the designs of the infrastructure development projects to avoid demolishing religious structures and argued that development is essential, but it should not hurt people’s religious sentiments. (ANI)

In an order issued on Tuesday regarding the approval to remove nine unauthorised religious structures for the Delhi-Saharanpur highway project, Saxena said that Sisodia has taken a “dichotomous stance”, wherein he has approved the proposal for removing the structures on file but resorted to a diametrically opposite rhetoric in public. The order said that Sisodia cleared the proposal on December 9 last year and the CM Arvind Kejriwal on February 1 this year.

On Monday, Sisodia said that modifications could be made to the designs of the infrastructure development projects to avoid demolishing religious structures and argued that development is essential, but it should not hurt people’s religious sentiments.

The LG order cited various Supreme Court and Delhi high court judgements regarding unauthorised religious structures in public places.

“I have reiterated the above at the risk of repetition with the hope that you would appreciate and execute the pronouncements in interest of Delhi and its people... It is also expected that the same will be conveyed to your colleagues in cabinet and they will be advised to refrain from politicising issues in name of religion,” the document marked to the chief minister said.

LG Saxena added that he wants to put on record the disappointment at the estoppel of the timely clearance of several other proposals that would have made positive changes in the lives of millions of residents and commuters. “...this is being done for petty political gains, is not only unfortunate, but amounts to blatant and wilful violation of orders of the court part from exhibiting sheer hypocrisy,” the order said.

A Delhi government spokesperson did not comment.