Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, currently jailed, has reportedly written to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, requesting that Cabinet Minister Atishi hoist the national flag in his place during the Delhi government’s Independence Day function. This request was made public by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), although the LG’s office has denied receiving any such communication.
In a statement, AAP said, “Kejriwal has written to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena from jail, saying that Atishi will hoist the tricolor in his place on August 15.” However, a Raj Niwas official clarified, “With regards to the claims in various sections regarding the flag hoisting on August 15, it is clarified that the LG secretariat is not in receipt of any such communication whatsoever.”
BJP’s Reaction
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the move, suggesting that Kejriwal should resign and make Atishi the Chief Minister if she is to perform duties traditionally reserved for the CM. According to the rules, only the CM is allowed to hoist the tricolor on Independence Day.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva remarked that the letter to the lieutenant governor “proves” that the Aam Aadmi Party and its leaders are “anarchists” and would continue to act as such. Sachdeva further commented, “Perhaps, the framers of the Constitution and the national flag protocol never imagined that one day, there would be a stubborn chief minister who would not resign even after going to jail.”
Historical Context
Sachdeva pointed out that if the chief minister is unable to hoist the flag, the responsibility traditionally falls to the lieutenant governor. He cited instances from 1991 to 1993 and in 2014, when there was no chief minister in Delhi, and the lieutenant governor performed the flag hoisting.
The BJP leader concluded that if Kejriwal trusts Atishi to take on this responsibility, he should step down as Chief Minister and allow her to take oath as the head of Delhi’s government.