Delhi CM Atishi urges LG to stop temple demolitions; Saxena’s office calls it ‘cheap politics’ | India News

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Atishi. on Tuesday expressed concern over the order to demolish multiple religious structures in the city and urged Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena reconsider orders. In a letter to Saxena, Atishi said the Religious Committee had decided to demolish several Buddhist temples and structures across Delhi, including those most loved by the Dalit community.
Atishi wrote: “The Religious Committee has decided, on your instructions and with your approval, to demolish multiple religious structures across Delhi. As you can see, the list of religious structures that will be demolished includes many Buddhist temples and places of worship which are revered by the Dalit community.
The Delhi CM said the demolition orders, issued in a meeting held on November 22, 2024, were bypassing the Delhi government’s involvement, and that all decisions were now passing through the lieutenant governor’s office.
He added that given the role of the elected government in protecting the religious sentiments of the people of Delhi, such decisions should not be taken without consultation. “On behalf of the people of Delhi, I request you not to demolish any of these temples and places of worship,” he wrote.

‘Cheap politics’: LG secretariat dismisses accusations

Responding to Atishi’s letter, the lieutenant governor’s office rejected the claims and stated that no temple or place of worship was being demolished. A LG Secretariat spokesperson said, “No temple, mosque, church or any other place of worship has been destroyed or demolished, nor has any file reached in this regard. CM is playing cheap politics to divert attention from her and her predecessor CM’s failures.”
The statement further added that the lieutenant governor had given strict instructions to the police to maintain extra vigil to prevent any politically motivated vandalism, citing the quiet celebrations during Christmas as proof of the success of the policy.
“LG has issued strict instructions to the police to maintain extra vigilance against forces who may commit deliberate vandalism for political gain. Their instructions are being strictly followed, as seen during the just-concluded Christmas celebrations in which “No untoward incident occurred.” the statement added.

Political tensions rise ahead of Delhi elections

The latest exchange of letters comes amid rising political tensions between Atishi and the lieutenant governor. Earlier, in a separate letter, Atishi had criticized the LG’s office for acting as a representative of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi. He accused Saxena of undermining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government by interfering in key initiatives, particularly schemes aimed at empowering women.
Atishi’s comments followed an earlier dispute with the LG’s office over Arvind Kejriwal’s comment referring to Atishi as a “temporary CM”. Saxena expressed his disapproval of the statement, calling it an affront to constitutional values. Atishi responded by saying that all elected officials, including her, were temporary in nature and should not be subject to petty political criticism.