NEW DELHI: On a day heated exchanges in the Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia lashed out at BJP leaders for their “utter disregard” of the national flag. Sisodia said BJP is opposing the installation of a high-mast Tricolour at Maharaja Sursaini Park in Malviya Nagar because a ‘shakha’ of RSS is held there. This came in response to a point raised by Malviya Nagar’s AAP MLA Somnath Bharti.
“Did Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru sacrifice their lives to see this day, where BJP conveniently goes around disregarding the Tiranga? There can’t be a bigger anti-national than the BJP councillor who opposes the installation of the national flag. Our martyrs laid their lives down for this flag. Every thread of the flag stands for every drop of blood our soldiers shed to keep it flying. There is no difference between traitors and BJP leaders who feel ashamed to see the Tiranga be hoisted in the national capital.”
A war of words between AAP and BJP members erupted. Opposition BJP called AAP legislators part of the “tukde tukde gang”. Speaker Ram Niwas Goel directed that BJP MLAs Vijender Gupta and Jitendra Mahajan be marshalled out.
After the BJP MLAs were marshalled out, Goel said Bharti had informed in writing that he would raise the issue. Sisodia said Bharti has raised a very serious issue and “this is a serious matter for our country’s pride”.
Before this, Bharti had said, “We had taken permission from the South MCD to install a Tirangas in Maharaja Sursaini Park in my constituency. As soon as we arrived at the site, some people arrived and objected to us installing the national flag.”