Remove the words ‘Aam Aadmi’ from all schemes, state Election Commission orders Delhi govt

Ahead of the Municipal elections in the national Capital, the Delhi State Election Commission has directed the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi to remove the words ‘Aam Aadmi’ from all forms of display of its schemes.

The Commission, through a letter on Monday, directed the Delhi Chief Secretary and all the three city Municipal Commissioners to remove the words ‘Aam Aadmi’ from all forms of display, including hoardings, banners, and nameplates, billboards, in Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic and Aam Aadmi Bypass Express Service, or anywhere within the jurisdiction of the Delhi government.

The letter became public on Tuesday.

The Commission also demanded a ‘compliance report’ within 48 hours.

The issue came to light after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Vijender Gupta, on March 18, submitted a memorandum to the state Election Commission seeking the removal of words ‘Aam Aadmi’ from names of the government-run schemes.

“The Delhi government is running about 150 Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics in different parts of the city where the words ‘Aam Aadmi’ are prominently displayed on hoardings, billboards and banners etc. It is also running Aam Aadmi Bypass Express Bus Service that covers a vast area of the city,” the memorandum read.

Meanwhile, AAP alleged that the state Election Commission has “succumbed to political pressure” and “trampled” on the Constitution by passing the order.

AAP Delhi unit convener Dilip Pandey and party MLA Somnath Bharti, in separate letters to the Commission, expressed their “shock” and alleged that the constitutional body is “acting as subordinate” of its “political masters”.

Pandey wondered whether similar action will be taken against names of schemes which carry the words Bhartiya and Janata or Indian and national.

“We are pained to note that officers in the commission have trampled on the Constitution by following the diktats of political leaders,” Pandey said in his letter.