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On shivling-fountain row, Delhi LG says, 'No problem if anyone sees God...'
AAP claimed sewage water is flowing into the shivling-shaped fountains. Delhi LG VK Saxena said these are not shivlings but art pieces.
Amid row over water fountains in the shape of shivling used for the decoration of Delhi's Dhaula Kuan area ahead of the G20 summit, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena said those are not shivlings but art pieces made by an artisan from Rajasthan. "But if someone sees shivling in that, if someone sees God in that, there is no problem. India is a unique country and here trees and rivers are prayed to. God is believed to be present in every particle. I don't think there is any controversy," the LG said.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday said it would file a police complaint against Saxena for ‘disrespecting the sentiments of the Hindus’ after the fountains triggered a blamegame between the AAP and the BJP in Delhi. "Shivling was insulted under the leadership of Modi ji and shameless BJP people are praising Modi. The LG of Delhi is looting accolades by disrespecting Shivling. BJP should apologize to the country, take action on LG," AAP MP Sanjay Singh posted on Twitter, now known as X.
Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said what the LG did is a sin. "Remember, this issue was not raised by us, the BJP raised the issue and sought an FIR against Atishi three days ago. But then the BJP came to know that this was done by the LG. So now the BJP is silent now," Bharadwaj said. “God will never forgive the LG. He should apologise to the country. Lord Shiv's place is in the temples. But today he brought Lord Shiv on the road and made fountains,” the minister said on Saturday.
The national capital is getting all decked up to welcome about 40 country heads on September 9 and 10 when the main event of the G20 will be held. As part of the beautification, 18 fountains have been installed near Dhaula Kuan at the Hanuman Mandir junction in the Palam airport's technical area. A row erupted after a television channel panelist from the BJP among several others on social media blamed AAP for the shivling-shaped fountains adding to the ongoing credit war between the AAP and the BJP over the beautification. While the BJP leaders claimed the beautification was done by agencies all of which are under the central government, AAP leaders said AAP government's fund was used.
On the shivling row, AAP leaders claimed sewage water is flowing onto the shivling-shaped fountains and the LG hurt the Hindu sentiments by saying that those are not shivlings but stones. "LG said that for you, it may be a Shivling, but for us, it's just a stone. Disrespecting Lord Shiva in this manner and ridiculing the faith of Hindus is absolutely disgraceful," AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak said.
