The Aam Admi Party’s 'desh bhakti' theme has been abuzz for quite a time, growing more and more as the Punjab elections draw nearer.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the great life of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar will be depicted by the Delhi government in a musical play on February 25. Deemed as the world’s biggest show in his life, it will run till March 12 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The programme will host two shows a day and renowned artist Rohit Roy will play the role of Bhimrao Ambedkar.
With a 100-foot stage and a 40-foot revolving stage on its top, the event will be reportedly organised in a huge manner. The first show will start at 4 pm and the second show will start at 7 pm every day.
Earlier in December last year, paying tribute to Ambedkar on his death anniversary, Kejriwal had vowed to fulfil the dream of Ambedkar that every student should get the best possible level of education without having to struggle for it. "I have now taken a vow that I will fulfil his dream. It has been 70 years and still the poor of this country are unable to get quality education. Babasahab Tera Sapna Adhura Kejriwal Karega Pura,” the chief minister said. Hailing Ambedkar for earning two doctorates and 64 masters degrees in his life, Kejriwal said, "while today we find it tough to get even one,” he had said.
The Aam Admi Party’s “desh bhakti” theme has been abuzz for quite a time, growing more and more as the Punjab elections draw nearer. In 2021, while presenting the budget, Delhi’s deputy chief minister and finance minister Manish Sisodia explained that the “desh-bhakti” (patriotism) theme has been chosen to mark 75 years of India’s Independence. While he designated one-fourth of the Rs 69,000-crore budget for education, Rs 45 crore was allocated to install 500 flags across the Capital “to instil the spirit of patriotism in every mind”. Further, Kejriwal announced Rs 10 crore each to celebrate the contribution of Bhagat Singh and B.R. Ambedkar.
In a previous interview with Outlook, a political analyst had termed Kejriwal's action as the “Hindutva Lite” strategy, where the politician has been trying hard to invoke nationalism and patriotism among the nationals.
Earlier, in 2020, around the time of the Delhi Assembly elections, Kejriwal created a lot of buzz by reciting the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’. Claiming that he is a staunch Hanuman bhakt, he recited the Hanuman Chalisa while defending the anti-Hindu claims made against him. During his interview with a news channel, Kejriwal also sang a hymn of the Chalisa and said that ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ gives him a lot of peace.
On January 25, while hoisting the National Flag at the Delhi Secretariat, Kejriwal announced that the Delhi government offices would replace all the photos of politicians with the portraits of Dr Ambedkar and Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh to inspire everyone. Kejriwal said, “The Delhi government will walk the path shown by Babasaheb Ambedkar and Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh and their vision will forever inspire us.” He further added, “I am happy that the Delhi government is trying to fulfill the dreams that Babasaheb and Bhagat Singh saw for our Indian society. Not one government in the last 75 years tried to walk on the path shown by Dr Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh.”
The BJP, on the other hand, has been claiming that Kejriwal is trying to appropriate the nationalism plank only for political gains. In October, 2021, Arvind Kejriwal offered prayers at the Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya and said that he would include Ayodhya in the Delhi Government’s free pilgrimage scheme and bring more pilgrims to the holy site.