A fresh political storm has erupted in Delhi over allegations that the newly formed BJP government removed the portraits of Dr. BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). The controversy quickly escalated into a war of words between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with both sides accusing each other of disrespecting national icons and manipulating the issue for political gains.
The controversy was triggered when former Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Atishi shared a picture showing herself seated in the Chief Minister’s chair, with portraits of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh prominently displayed behind her. She contrasted this with a recent image of the new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s office, where only portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, President Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were visible on the same wall.
AAP leaders, including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seized on the issue, claiming that the BJP government deliberately removed the images of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. Atishi went on to accuse the BJP of harboring an “anti-Dalit and anti-Sikh” mentality, asserting that Kejriwal had ensured that the portraits of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were displayed in every Delhi government office. Kejriwal further fueled the controversy, stating that the BJP’s actions had deeply hurt millions of Ambedkar’s followers. In a tweet, he urged the BJP to reinstall Ambedkar’s photo while allowing Modi’s image to remain, arguing that historical figures like Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh transcended political affiliations and belonged to the people of India.
The BJP, however, swiftly countered AAP’s claims by releasing another image that showed Ambedkar’s photograph on an adjacent wall within the Chief Minister’s Office. To further dismiss AAP’s allegations, BJP leaders circulated a video revealing the current arrangement of portraits: Mahatma Gandhi, President Murmu, and Prime Minister Modi’s photos were hung behind the Chief Minister’s chair, while the images of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were placed on the adjoining walls.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta rejected AAP’s allegations outright, calling them baseless and an attempt to divert public attention from the ongoing scrutiny of AAP’s governance. Gupta argued that as the head of the Delhi government, it was appropriate for her office to feature the nation’s highest constitutional authorities—the President and the Prime Minister—alongside historical figures. She dismissed AAP’s statements as an unnecessary political stunt, asserting that both Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar continued to hold a place of respect in the office. "Should the photo of the head of government not be put up? Should the photo of the President of the country not be displayed? Should the photo of Father of the Nation Gandhi Ji not be honored?" Gupta asked during a press interaction, countering AAP’s claims.
The controversy erupted at a critical juncture, coinciding with the first session of the Delhi Assembly following the BJP’s victory in the February 5 elections, which marked the end of AAP’s decade-long rule in the national capital. The three-day session is expected to witness heated debates as the BJP tables the pending reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which could shed light on alleged financial mismanagement and irregularities under the Kejriwal-led government.
BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely directly accused AAP of deliberately manufacturing the portrait controversy to distract from the upcoming discussions on the CAG reports. "These people are just scared of what the CAG reports will reveal. That is why they are creating this chaos. They do not have any substantial issue, but they cannot escape accountability for their misdeeds," he remarked. Lovely also questioned AAP’s selective outrage, reminding the public that when Kejriwal’s government first came to power in 2013, they had also replaced several portraits in the Chief Minister’s Office. "They are talking about Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar today, but whose photos did they remove when they came to power? Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar are revered by all, but why did they remove Mahatma Gandhi’s photo back then?" he asked.
As the political slugfest intensifies, it has become evident that the portrait dispute is just the latest flashpoint in the ongoing power struggle between the BJP and AAP in Delhi. With the BJP now in control of the Delhi government after 27 years, the party is expected to push for greater scrutiny of AAP’s past governance, using the upcoming CAG report findings to corner the opposition. Meanwhile, AAP is attempting to frame the BJP’s actions as an attack on the legacy of India’s most respected freedom fighters and social reformers, in a bid to rally public sentiment in its favor.
The coming days are likely to witness a further escalation of this debate, with both parties using the issue to solidify their political narratives. Whether this controversy remains a symbolic dispute or translates into tangible electoral consequences will depend on how it resonates with the people of Delhi, particularly the Dalit and Sikh communities, for whom Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh remain deeply influential figures.
