Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has trained guns at the Bharatiya Janata Party to show AAP’s veture of monthly honorarium promised to priests in a positive light.
She said that the BJP tries to demolish Hindu temples and a Buddhist religious place in the city, Aam Aadmi Party, on the other hand, promises to provide ₹18,000 monthly honorarium to the priests and granthis.
In response to this, Lt Governor VK Saxena secretariat in a statement said neither are any temples, mosques, churches or any other place of worship being demolished, nor has any file in this regard received by it.
In a sharp reply, the Lt Governor secretariat alleged that the chief minister is playing “cheap politics” to divert attention from her as well as her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘failures’.
“If at all, the Governor has issued strict instructions to the police to maintain extra vigil against forces who may indulge in deliberate vandalism for political benefits.
His instructions are being strictly followed, as was witnessed during the just gone Christmas celebrations which did not see any untoward incident,” the Lt Governor secretariat said.
Atishi on Tuesday wrote to the lieutenant governor and claimed that a ‘Religious Committee’ under him in its meeting on November 22 ordered for demolition of six religious structures, including Hindu temples and a Buddhist worship place, in different parts of the city.
The LG’s office rebutted the chief minister’s charge, accusing her of indulging in “cheap politics” and claimed that no place of worship was being demolished as no file in this regard was received by it.
Addressing a press conference here, Atishi termed the LG’s office rebuttal as “complete lie” and showed a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Religious Committee.
“The file of the Committee’s order was sent to the BJP-led Centre’s representative LG. The LG has given approval to the decision,” she claimed.
The chief minister said the MCD, DM offices and police have been informed and they are gearing up for demolishing the places of worship.
A Buddhist religious structure in Sunder Nagri planned to be demolished housed a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar, she added.
Atishi said the Religious Committee since its formation by a Supreme Court order worked under the Home minister of the Delhi government and its decisions were approved by the minister.
The chief minister said Saxena, however, directed last year that demolition or shifting of any religious place was a matter of law and order and came under the purview of the Centre and the lieutenant governor.
She claimed the Religious Committee’s decision was not presented before the chief minister or the Home minister of the Delhi government.
Atishi alleged that the BJP “intended” to demolish the religious places and said if the lieutenant governor's office did not want to do this then the order for demolition should be withdrawn.
“The two-faced BJP has been exposed. On one hand they claim to be defenders of the Hindus and on the other hand they surreptitiously plan for demolition of temples,” she charged.
The chief minister further said the AAP has promised to provide ₹18,000 to the priests of Hindu temples and granthis of Gurudwaras after returning to power in Delhi, while the BJP has done nothing for the Hindus despite seeking votes in the name of religion.
The six religious structures that are to be demolished are located at West Patel Nagar, Dilshad Garden, Sunder Nagri, Seema Puri, Gokal Puri and New Usmanpur, she added.
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