On Tuesday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena dismissed Chief Minister Atishi’s allegations as “cheap politics,” after she claimed that his office had ordered the demolition of Hindu and Buddhist religious structures in the city. In response, the Lt Governor’s Secretariat issued a statement refuting the charges, stating that no religious structures—temples, mosques, or churches—were being demolished. The statement also emphasized that no such file had been received by the office for approval.
Atishi, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, had written to the Lt Governor, claiming that a meeting of the ‘Religious Committee’ under Saxena’s direction took place on November 22, during which an order was passed to demolish several religious sites in Delhi. She listed locations including West Patel Nagar, Dilshad Garden, Sunder Nagri, Seema Puri, Gokal Puri, and Usmanpur, alleging that temples and Buddhist places of worship were targeted.
In her letter, Atishi stressed that as elected representatives, the AAP would ensure no religious sentiments were hurt by such actions. In response, the Lt Governor’s office accused Atishi of engaging in “cheap politics” and clarified that the only instructions given were to maintain extra vigilance against potential vandalism for political gain. This, they noted, was seen during the Christmas celebrations, which went without incident.
Atishi also referred to a previous order from last year, claiming it stated that the demolition of religious structures was a matter of “public order” and was to be overseen by the Lt Governor’s office. She further alleged that all files related to the Religious Committee now bypassed the Chief Minister and the Home Minister, being routed directly through the Home Department to the Lt Governor’s office.
