Delhi LG Picks Home Minister Gahlot For Independence Day Flag Hoisting, Sparking AAP Controversy

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has chosen Home Minister Kailash Gahlot to raise the national flag at the official Independence Day celebration at Chhatrasaal Stadium, as confirmed by Raj Niwas officials.

This decision comes after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had requested that Education Minister Atishi be allowed to hoist the flag in place of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The selection of Gahlot, bypassing other senior government officials, may lead to further disagreements between the AAP government and the LG's office.

LG's secretary Ashish Kundra informed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar of this decision in writing. Earlier, the Delhi government's General Administration Department (GAD) had refused to implement a directive from Minister Gopal Rai for Atishi to hoist the flag.

The GAD stated that Chief Minister Kejriwal, currently in jail on corruption charges, cannot authorize Atishi to act on his behalf. They also deemed Kejriwal's August 6 communication to the LG on this matter as impermissible under prison rules.

In response to the rejection of her flag-hoisting request, Atishi indirectly criticized LG Saxena in a press conference, referring to him as a "new viceroy" and arguing that the elected government should have the right to raise the national flag.

Kejriwal had previously written to the LG stating that Atishi would hoist the flag on his behalf, but the LG's office denied receiving any such communication from the Chief Minister.