New Delhi, July 24 (UNI) The growing tussle between Delhi Government and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena came in public domain Sunday.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal boycotted the closing ceremony of the mega tree plantation drive, in which Saxena was also invited as the Chief Guest, alleging the Bharatiya Janata Party-run Centre of "hijacking" the event and turning it into a political show.
The city government said the Centre misused the muscle power of the Delhi Police to make the plantation drive organised by the Delhi Government appear as a feat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Government.
In a presser, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said under PM Office's pressure, the Delhi Police overnight destroyed the banner and posters carrying Kejriwal's image and installed new ones carrying PM Modi's picture.
"The Delhi LG and CM Arvind Kejriwal were to attend the closing ceremony of Van Mahotsav, but the police destroyed the banners of the Delhi Government and threatened the officers involved in the preparation to step back. In the dark of night, the job of the police is to protect the people, not to put up the banners of the Prime Minister," he told the reporters.
"This was a program of the Delhi Government. The banner approved by the Delhi Government had the picture of L-G and CM Arvind Kejriwal. What does the Prime Minister want to prove by forcefully getting his photo installed by brute police force? Rai asked.
The event was organised to wrap up 15 days long tree transplantation drive, Van Mahotsav, which the Delhi Government began on July 11. The campaign was expected to conclude with planting one lakh saplings in Asola Bhatti Mine today.
Rai said that LED TV installed at the event to make children aware about the tree plantation with videos and photos were covered with PM's banner.
"The Modi Government has made the tree plantation campaign its political program, so the Chief Minister and the ministers of the Delhi Government did not participate in the PM's political program," he clarified.
Rai also hit out at the Delhi Police which, according to him, misbehaved with the people involved with the arrangement and threatened them with action if the banners and posters carrying PM Modi's photo were removed.
"They took the stage under their control and kicked out the people involved in the arrangements. They didn’t stop there and removed the banners which were finalised to be put up on the stage. Instead, they forcefully put up a banner with a photo of the Prime Minister and threatened to take action if the banner was removed," he alleged.
However, the event proceeded without the presence of Delhi Ministers. Saxena attended the closing ceremony which was marked with a plantation of 1 lakh saplings.
While no official statement from the L-G house was issued refuting the Delhi Government's allegation, officials from Saxena's office said Kejriwal skipped the event due to "ill health".
"After absenting from scheduled weekly meeting with LG on Friday citing ill health, Delhi CM Kejriwal today skipped a pre-decided combined program of tree plantation at Asola Bhatti Mines, again due to ill health," according to the officials.
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