Delhi Assembly ruckus: Atishi questions if PM Modi bigger than Ambedkar now; BJP quips, ‘AAP drama to divert attention’

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Delhi Assembly and Senior AAP leader Atishi on Tuesday accused the BJP of trying to sideline BR Ambedkar's legacy by replacing his portraits with those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in key government offices, including the Delhi Chief Minister's office and the Assembly. She further questioned whether the BJP considered Modi to be "greater" than Ambedkar.

Is PM Modi bigger than BR Ambedkar now: Atishi

Atishi told ANI, "The BJP has replaced Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar's photo with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Chief Minister's office in the Delhi Secretariat and Assembly, as well as in the offices of all ministers in the Delhi Secretariat. Do they believe that the Prime Minister is greater than Babasaheb Ambedkar and can take his place?"

Atishi claimed that where Ambedkar's portrait once hung, there is now a photo of Narendra Modi. "Similarly, in the Vidhan Sabha and various Delhi government offices, Ambedkar's photo has been replaced by Modi's photo," she said.

AAP doing drama to divert attention: BJP

However, BJP was quick to respond to the comment saying AAP is doing drama to divert attention from CAG report.

Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa while speaking to ANI said, "The party (AAP) knows nothing except quarrels. No one can remove the portraits of Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh and neither have we removed them. They are doing this kind of drama to divert attention from the CAG report..."

As soon as the Lieutenant Governor (LG) started his address, AAP MLAs began raising slogans, leading to chaos in the House. Before the LG's speech, AAP members also chanted "Jai Bhim" slogans. The MLAs were then suspended from the house.

They then took their protest outside the Assembly and raised slogans against the state government while carrying posters of BR Ambedkar.