NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V K Saxena accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ministerial colleagues on Monday of showing ‘utter disregard’ towards the commemoration of the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri by not attending the events organised for the purpose.
Saxena termed the absence of Kejriwal and other ministers at Raj Ghat and Vijay Ghat on Sunday “unacceptable” and “appalling”, saying such events call for “commemoration of much beyond the issuing of symbolic advertisements in newspapers that your government very promptly did”.
AAP hit back, saying Kejriwal could not attend the programmes as he was campaigning in Gujarat for the state Assembly polls and also accused the LG of acting at the behest of PM Narendra Modi. Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta alleged that Kejriwal has an old habit of changing colours.
In a letter to Kejriwal, the L-G said neither the chief minister nor any of his ministers was present at the two memorials even though President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Modi and representatives of foreign missions in India, among others, were there to pay homage to Gandhi and Shastri.
He noted that Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia was “perfunctorily present” at the events for a few minutes, but “did not deem the occasion fit enough to stay the course”. “It is with a deep sense of pain, regret and disappointment that I draw your attention towards the utter disregard displayed by you and the government headed by you towards the commemoration of Gandhi Jayanti and the jayanti of Bharat Ratna Lal Bahadur Shastriji yesterday,” the letter read.
Saxena asserted that what made the absence all the more “unacceptable and appalling” is the fact that the president and the vice president were invited for the programmes after an “approval” from Kejriwal, Sisodia and the minister in-charge of the general administration department.
AAP says L-G’s letter reflects BJP ire
New Delhi: Responding to Saxena’s letter, Aam Aadmi Party dragged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the note shared by Saxena reflect’s PM’s “lividness”. “Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has always attended Gandhi jayanti and Lal Bahadur Shastri jayanti programs in last several years. He was in Gujarat on that day and thats why he could not attend the program. It is important to understand the reason for L-G’s letter. Kejriwal addressed a very massive rally in tribal area of Gujarat against empty chairs in PM’s program in Ahmedabad just two days back. PM is livid. This letter has been written by LG on PM’s instructions,” the party stated.