Aam Aadmi Party News Update: The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday accused BJP government of insulting the Dalit community by installing portraits of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malaviya in the Assembly instead of Mata Savitribai Phule on her birth anniversary. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that when MLAs demanded the installation of Savitribai Phule’s portrait, the government responded by initiating a privilege breach case against them. AAP’s Delhi unit chief Kuldeep Kumar said the party has no objection to portraits of national leaders like Vajpayee and Malaviya, but will not tolerate any insult to Dalit icons, alleging that the privileged action was filed solely to suppress the demand for honouring Mata Savitribai Phule.
- BJP Govt insulted Dalits by installing portraits of Atal Bihari Vajpayee & Madan Mohan Malaviya instead of Mata Savitribai Phule on her birth anniversary in Assembly: Saurabh Bharadwaj
- They initiated a privilege breach case against MLAs for demanding the installation of Mata Savitribai Phule’s portrait: Saurabh Bharadwaj
- We have no objection to portraits of Atal Bihari Vajpayee & Madan Mohan Malaviya, but we will not tolerate the insult of Dalit icons: Kuldeep Kumar
- To suppress demand for installing Mata Savitribai Phule’s portrait, a privilege breach case was filed against AAP MLA: Kuldeep Kumar
Aam Aadmi Party New Update: AAP accuses BJP of anti-Dalit mindset over Savitribai Phule portrait row
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday criticised the BJP-led Delhi government for insulting Dalits by choosing to install portraits of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malaviya in the Delhi Assembly on the birth anniversary of Mata Savitribai Phule, rather than honouring the pioneering social reformer herself.
AAP Delhi Unit Chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar emphasised that the government not only failed to acknowledge a Dalit icon who laid the foundation of women’s education in India, but also went a step further by initiating a privilege breach case against MLAs who raised the demand, calling it a clear reflection of the BJP’s anti-Dalit mindset.
During a press conference, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bhaadwaj stated, “It is a bizarre thing that on the birth anniversary of Mata Savitribai Phule, portraits of Pandit Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya are being installed. If even a Dalit icon’s portrait had been installed today, we could have struck a blow against the stigma of casteism that has existed for thousands of years. But the Delhi government missed this opportunity and instead installed portraits of two Brahmins. When it comes to installing the portrait of a Dalit icon, they face so much discomfort that they initiated a privilege breach case against MLAs, some of whom are Dalits and from the AAP.”
Kuldeep Kumar says privileged action was used to silence demand for Savitribai Phule’s portrait, calls BJP’s move anti-Dalit.
AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar said, “A few days ago, a meeting was held in which we placed a proposal before the Assembly committee. Our MLAs said that Mata Savitribai Phule, whose birth anniversary is today, who opened the first school for women in this country, who faced immense atrocities yet never stopped educating women, should have her portrait installed inside the Delhi Assembly. I say this with great sadness that to suppress our voice, they initiated a privilege breach motion against our members, including against me personally, but they did not install Mata Savitribai Phule’s portrait there. Because she spoke about educating women. Because she came from the Dalit community and the backward community, her portrait was not installed.”
Pointing to contrasting decisions, Kuldeep Kumar added, “Inside the Assembly, the entire government, along with the central government, spent lakhs of rupees to install portraits of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malaviya. We have no objection to that. But we say this clearly that if you insult Dalit heroes and show hatred towards them, then we will not tolerate a BJP that insults Mata Savitribai Phule and refuses to install her portrait on her birth anniversary while installing portraits of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malaviya. This is their anti-Dalit mentality.”
