The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has exposed BJP’s lies about Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s statue. Senior AAP leader Somnath Bharti stated that the BJP first dishonoured Shaheed Bhagat Singh by removing his portrait from the Chief Minister’s and ministers’ offices and is now spreading misinformation about his statue.
The senior AAP leader highlighted that under BJP-led MCD, Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s statue in Malviya Nagar’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park was vandalised, and despite demands, the BJP did not replace it. After taking charge of the MCD, AAP, along with the public, installed a new statue last year. Yet, BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay falsely claimed that the BJP had replaced it three years ago. Somnath Bharti remarked that if the BJP truly respected martyrs, it wouldn’t have removed their pictures in the first place.
Somnath Bharti strongly criticised the BJP for removing the portraits of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh from the Chief Minister’s office and ministers’ offices in Delhi. He stated, “When the Delhi Assembly session began recently, a deep sense of anguish spread across Delhi and the nation. The BJP’s act of removing the portraits of Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh from the Chief Minister’s office and ministers’ offices, has deeply hurt the people of this country.”
He stated that AAP raised this issue both inside and outside the Assembly, making the entire nation aware of the BJP’s wrong mindset towards these national icons. The BJP was left with no place to hide because their wrongdoing had been exposed. No citizen of this country will tolerate the insult of Shaheed Bhagat Singh or Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
Referring to BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay’s recent statements, the senior AAP leader called him out for misleading the public with falsehoods. He said, “When the BJP found itself cornered, its newly elected MLA from Malviya Nagar, Satish Upadhyay, attempted to present a bundle of lies before the people. The real disappointment came when he misused the Assembly platform to spread falsehoods.”
Somnath Bharti recounted the history of Bhagat Singh Park and the struggles faced in restoring the statue after the BJP-ruled MCD neglected it. “In my constituency, we have Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park, a place of great reverence for the people. Back in 2008, the residents, including Satish Nangia—who is the founder of the Bhagat Singh Smarak Samiti—worked together to establish a statue in the park.”
“However, when the BJP was in power in the MCD, this statue was vandalised. The statue’s nose was broken, and it was severely damaged. The people were deeply hurt and outraged. We fought hard to get the statue repaired or reinstalled using government funds, but despite our repeated efforts, the BJP-led MCD paid no attention,” he added.
He highlighted how the AAP government took action as soon as it came to power in the MCD, saying, “When we came to power in the MCD, we immediately resumed efforts to restore the statue. After a long and persistent struggle, on 23rd March 2024, we installed a brand-new statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. It has not even been a year since its installation. The video evidence is clear—Satish Upadhyay himself is seen speaking in front of the commemorative plaque, which prominently displays the date, 23rd March 2024. The statue, where Bhagat Singh holds the Indian tricolour, was established with contributions from my personal fund.”
He criticised BJP leader Satish Upadhyay for spreading falsehoods about the statue’s removal, saying “The BJP, which is facing backlash across the country for removing Bhagat Singh’s statue, is now trying to cover up its actions. Their leader, Satish Upadhyay, falsely claimed—both on social media platform ‘X’ and in the Assembly—that the statue had been damaged three years ago. The truth is clear for all to see. This statue was installed on 23rd March 2024, not even a year ago. This blatant misinformation is an attempt to mislead the public.”
He asserted that AAP, along with the people, reinstated the statue through collective efforts. “Under BJP rule, the statue was left damaged. It was with our own financial contributions and the support of the people that we ensured its grand reinstallation. The BJP has no love for our nation’s martyrs. They have become habitual liars. The RSS, refused to hoist the national flag at its headquarters for 55 years. And now, they lecture us on patriotism? It is laughable. The AAP has exposed them, and today, they have no answers for the public, for why did they remove the statues of both Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.”
Condemning the BJP’s actions, the senior AAP leader vowed to take the issue further. He said, “I strongly condemn Satish Upadhyay’s lies—both before the public and on the Assembly floor. I will formally raise this matter before the Speaker. I have always been inspired by Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh’s path. It was this very inspiration that led me to ensure that during my tenure, our Assembly complex honours his legacy.”
“We unveiled the statues of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev for the first time. And we did so to ensure that every MLA passing through that space before entering the Assembly could see and remember those who sacrificed their lives for the nation,” he added.
Somnath Bharti asked the BJP—can they name a single person from their party who has sacrificed their life for the country? Just one person from the BJP who has laid down their life for the nation?
He stated that it does not befit the BJP to mislead the public with lies. The irony is that in the very video where they are making these claims, the date behind them clearly states 23rd March 2024, proving that the statue had been damaged for three years.
“I want every resident of Delhi, every voter of the Malviya Nagar constituency, and every citizen of this country to know that the BJP holds no genuine respect for the martyrs of our nation. That is why they removed the portraits of Bhagat Singh and Babasaheb Ambedkar from the Chief Minister’s office and ministers’ offices. And now, in an attempt to cover up their actions, they are resorting to blatant lies to mislead the public.
“The country is asking a question from the BJP: Is PM Modi greater than Babasaheb Ambedkar? The BJP does not believe that Babasaheb Ambedkar is greater than PM Modi. That is why they removed his portrait and replaced it with that of PM Modi’s,” concluded the senior AAP leader.
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