The oath ceremony of Delhi’s new Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena witnessed high drama, as former Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan staged a walkout from the function, alleging that seats were not reserved for members of parliament (MPs). “Does Indian Godi Media have the guts to upload this video? Looks like BJP MP Dr Harshvardhan is very angry for not getting a seat in the oath-taking ceremony of lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. This is what happens to former ministers and senior leaders in the BJP,” Rohan Gupta, in charge of the social media wing of the INC, tweeted (edited).
In the nine-second long video, Dr Harsh Vardhan is seen going out of the venue in the middle of the swearing-in ceremony. “They have not provided any seat for even Parliament Members,” he was heard saying when asked what had happened.
Gupta shared another clip of the former union health minister which showed Dr Harsh Vardhan leaving the venue during the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Niwas, the official residence of the lieutenant governor.
“What happened sir?” a male voice is heard asking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, to which the latter responds in Hindi, “They didn’t keep seats (reserved) for MPs.”
Hours after the incident, however, Dr Harsh Vardhan tweeted to clarify that an officer had asked him to vacate the seat, stating that it was reserved. After waiting for 15 min, he left the venue when no seat was given to him, Dr Harsh Vardhan said. “It was wrongly reported by the media that (I) left the oath ceremony of LG because of not getting the desired seat. I sat where one officer seated me, another officer got me to vacate that saying it was reserved. Waited for 15 minutes, that seat will be provided anywhere, left when it was not given,” the former union minister tweeted in Hindi.
The video expectedly went viral on Twitter and was widely shared on the micro-blogging website.
Vinai Kumar Saxena was appointed the 22nd lieutenant governor of Delhi on 23 May, five days after his predecessor, Anil Baijal, put in papers citing ‘personal reasons.’
Dr Harsh Vardhan, who is an MP from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk constituency, resigned in July last year from prime minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet. He was succeeded by the incumbent health minister, Mansukh Mandaviya.
You must log in to post a comment.