BJP and AAP Lock Horns Over Ambedkar Photo at Delhi CM’s Office

A war of words has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the placement of photographs in the newly assumed Chief Minister's office of Delhi. The controversy centres around the alleged removal of portraits of prominent figures like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh, which were initially displayed at the office of the Delhi CM.

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Former Delhi Minister Atishi sparked the debate when she posted pictures on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the BJP of showing its “true anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh face.” Atishi claimed that the photographs of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh had been removed from the Chief Minister's office at the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
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In her post, Atishi shared two images. One depicted her sitting in the Chief Minister's chair, with Ambedkar’s photo hanging prominently behind her. The second image, juxtaposed with the first, showed Rekha Gupta, the newly elected BJP Delhi Chief Minister, in the same office. However, in this photo, while Gupta was seated in the same chair, the backdrop had shifted—Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s portrait was now on the wall, alongside those of President Draupadi Murmu and Mahatma Gandhi.
AAP convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also weighed in on the issue, sharing Atishi’s post and expressing his discontent. “The new BJP government of Delhi removed Baba Saheb's photo and put up the photo of Prime Minister Modi. This is not right. This has hurt millions of followers of Baba Saheb. I have a request to BJP: You can put the photo of the Prime Minister but do not remove the photo of Baba Sahib. Let his photo remain there,” Kejriwal wrote.
However, BJP leaders were quick to respond. Amit Malviya, BJP’s national IT head, took to X to clarify the situation, asserting that the portraits of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were still on display in the CM’s office. Malviya shared a photo of the office, which showed the pictures of both Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh hanging on the wall inside the Chief Minister’s office. He further attacked Kejriwal, accusing him of indulging in "cheap politics" to spread confusion. “This is the room of the chief minister of Delhi, where the pictures of all the great men are still hanging. Liquor scam accused Arvind Kejriwal cannot go to the chief minister's office, so he is resorting to cheap politics to spread confusion. The public humiliated him so much that he was not even able to show his face after the defeat, but still, he is not desisting from his cheap actions,” Malviya wrote.
Despite Malviya’s clarification, the controversy continued to simmer, with the key point of contention being whether the placement of the portraits had been altered. The image shared by Malviya did show Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh’s pictures still present, but it also revealed a shift in the arrangement. The pictures of PM Modi, President Murmu, and Mahatma Gandhi were now prominently displayed on the while behind the CM’s chair, while Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh’s pictures have been shifted to the adjacent wall.
BJP has claimed victory in the highly voltage Delhi elections earlier this month, defeating Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and effectively ending its hold on power in the national capital. Rekha Gupta was sworn in as he chief minister, the successor of Atishi from AAP, on Sunday.​