Delhi Lt. Governor replaces Atishi and nominates Kailash Gahlot to hoist national flag on Independence Day

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Tuesday nominated Delhi’s Home Minister Kailash Gahlot to hoist the national flag at the Independence Day event in the Chhatrasaal Stadium, according to the officials at the Raj Niwas. Earlier the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had requested that Education Minister Atishi be nominated to hoist the tricolor on August 15 in the absence of Kejriwal. However, Delhi’s Lt. Governor had dismissed the Chief Minister’s request as “invalid.”

"Lieutenant Governor is pleased to nominate Minister (Home), GNCTD, Kailash Gahlot to unfurl the National Flag at the State level Independence Day celebrations at Chhatrasaal Stadium. Necessary arrangements may be made accordingly", said Lieutenant Governor’s Secretary Ashish Kundra in a letter to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar.

Delhi Government’s General Administration Department earlier today snubbed Department Minister Gopal Rai's direction requesting that Education Minister Atishi be nominated to hoist the flag on August 15 in absence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The General Administration Department (GAD) said on Tuesday that Kejriwal who is in jail in connection with an alleged liquor policy scam cannot authorize Atishi to hoist the flag on his behalf. The GAD which operates under the Lt Governor also said that the CM’s communication on August 6 in this regard was an abuse of privileges granted to him under the Delhi Prison Rules and was, therefore, not sent to the Lieutenant Governor. The GAD further declared that Independence Day and Republic Day are national events with "Supreme Constitutional Sanctity" and that any deviation would "Undermine its Sanctity".

After the request to let Atishi hoist the national flag was rejected by the LG’s office, Atishi took a jibe at Saxena at a press conference today. “Delhi’s elected government is being denied the right to unfurl the national flag ... New Viceroy has come and he wants to unfurl the national flag ... The Lieutenant Governor wants to unfurl the national flag on Independence Day. It is the right of the elected government to unfurl the national flag,” said the Education Minister.

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who was released on bail last week, took a swipe at the GAD in light of the row over hoisting the tri-color. "I read in the papers... when a conman (referring to Sukesh Chandrashekar, who has written open letters targeting AAP leaders, including Mr Kejriwal) writes a letter, jail administration duly submits it to LG's office... but when the Delhi Chief Minister writes, it cannot submit…,” said Sisodia.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Arvind Kejriwal on March 21 in an alleged money laundering case linked to a now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. The probe agency has alleged that the money received from the liquor sellers was used to fund the AAP’s poll campaign in Goa. He was given bail but a Delhi Court on June 26 sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the CBI’s custody, hours after the agency arrested him in a corruption case related to the alleged excise policy scam.​