NEW DELHI: The legislators of Aam Aadmi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party sparred in the Delhi assembly on Thursday over the issue of installation of a flag at a park in Hauz Khas area.
While AAP blamed BJP for "disrespecting" the national flag, the latter called the legislators of the ruling dispensation members of the "tukde tukde gang". As the MLAs of both the parties entered the well of the House and raised slogans, speaker Ram Niwas Goel directed that BJP legislators Vijender Gupta and Jitendra Mahajan be marshalled out of the House.
Alleging that BJP was obstructing the installation of national flags, deputy CM Manish Sisodia said his party members would lay down their lives but won't let BJP disrespect the national flag.
In a statement, BJP alleged that AAP was misusing the assembly premises for playing "dirty politics" over the issue.
A war of words broke out between AAP and BJP after ruling party legislator Somnath Bharti alleged that BJP and RSS were opposing the installation of a high-mast Tricolour in his constituency. He claimed that some "RSS and BJP men" said the national flag cannot be installed in the park as a 'shakha' of RSS was held there.
The BJP MLAs opposed Bharti, and Mahajan called AAP members part of the "tukde tukde gang".
Speaking after the ruckus, Sisodia said Bharti had raised a very serious issue which was related to "our country's pride".
"We had announced that we would be installing Tricolours at various places. If any BJP councillor is not allowing installation of the Tricolour, then it's the highest degree of treason. BJP councillor is not allowing the Tricolour to be installed. There can't be a bigger anti-national than him. BJP should be ashamed and apologise to the country," Sisodia said.
"We will give our lives and install the Tricolour there," he added.
The Delhi government, in the last budget, had proposed to install 35-metre high national flags at 500 locations across the city. The government has already installed the flags at about 100 locations.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, however, claimed that no municipal councillor or official had stopped Bharti from hoisting the national flag at Hardevpuri Park in Hauz Khas ward.
"It is really regrettable that Bharti and AAP leaders have been playing dirty politics in the name of hoisting the Indian Tricolour and have misused the assembly premises for this. Bharti wanted to hoist the flag in one corner of the park while local residents requested him to install the national Tricolour in centre and allow the south corporation to carry out the beautification work around it. MLA Somnath Bharti did not agree to this and himself created a ruckus," Kapoor said.
