New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday took on the Aam Aadmi Party over the unveiling of a portrait of eighteenth-century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan at the Delhi Assembly on Republic Day.
"Bhagat Singh was our nation's pride. But I believe that if we honour people like Tipu Sultan, then it would not be in the nation's interest. People's sentiments hurt if we put up a portrait of a controversial personality", BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma told ANI.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on January 26, 2018, unveiled portraits of 70 eminent individuals including India's freedom fighters, revolutionaries and heroes at the Delhi Assembly.
Delhi Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal inaugurates Martyrs' Memorial Gallery at Delhi Assembly on the occasion of Republic Day. pic.twitter.com/GuJPAwuaqd
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 26, 2018
In his Republic Day address, he had said that it was tough to get Independence, but seeing the current scenario in the country it seemed that maintaining that freedom is even more difficult.
The Delhi CM had added that the "atmosphere of violence" is being created everywhere which is making it tough for many people to lead a normal life, as per PTI.
"Opening more schools and hospitals to provide better education and healthcare facilities, bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, developing infrastructure is real patriotism," he had said.
Addressing the gathering, Kejriwal had further said that traders, farmers and labourers are unhappy because of the circumstances.
"In this scenario doing business is becoming tough. No country can progress if it lacks peace. Maintaining peace and harmony is the first job of any government. Divisive forces work against the country," he had alleged.
Meanwhile, Delhi Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel had said on Friday that the BJP leaders "always try to create controversy on any issue".
Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on opposition by BJP on inclusion of Tipu Sultan’s portrait in the gallery. The Constitution carries a picture of Tipu Sultan on page 144, so either the people who fought the British to free the country & wrote this Constitution were traitors or BJP is pic.twitter.com/f7Jd6xvXEb
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 27, 2018
“We asked the BJP and their MLAs to suggest names from either their party or the RSS who had worked for the freedom struggle but they couldn’t come up with any.” : @Saurabh_MLAgk on inclusion on Tipu Sultan's portrait in the gallery. pic.twitter.com/dZX44XTDMq
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 27, 2018
"I want to tell them (BJP) that the Constitution of India also carries a picture of Tipu Sultan on its page number 144. So, either the people, who fought British to free the country and wrote this Constitution, were 'gaddaar' (traitor) or they (BJP) are the ones," he had said.
Goel had added that the BJP should leave this "cheap" politics and work for development.
A total of 70 portraits, including those of Ashfaqulla Khan, Bhagat Singh, Birsa Munda, Rani Chennamma, Subhas Chandra Bose and Tipu Sultan, will be put up in galleries of the Delhi Assembly.
These portraits are two-and-a-half feet long, and one-and-a-half feet wide mentioning the description of the personality in brief and their contribution towards the nation.
(With Agency inputs)
