With Republic Day 2025 around the corner, the security in New Delhi has started to be beefed up. India will celebrate its 76th Republic Day this year i.e. on 26 January 2025. Like previous years, a grand parade will also take place from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. Every year on Republic Day, foreign heads of state are invited to the parade and made the chief guest on behalf of India. This year, President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto has been declared the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations. In the meanwhile, Pravesh Verma, BJP candidate from the New Delhi constituency has sparked a major controversy by calling out vehicles with Punjab's number plate in the National capital.
Pravesh Verma who is also the son of former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma recently made a remark ahead of Republic Day that is being seen as an insult to the Punjabi community. In fact, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal has demanded an apology for making bizarre remarks on Punjab and Punjabis. Even Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann slammed Verma and called his remarks 'dangerous and insulting'.
Addressing the media, Pravesh Verma said, "They have booked all the hotels and guest houses in Paharganj, Karol Bagh, and Mahipalpur. Thousands of vehicles with Punjab number plates are roaming around here. Who are these people? Preparations are underway to celebrate 26 January. What are they going to do that can endanger our security? Government employees and teachers from Punjab are being called and CCTV cameras are being installed by them..."
AAP slams Pravesh Verma's controversial remarks
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann took to his X handle and wrote, "(Translated version) Delhi is the capital of the country. People from every state come here. Vehicles with numbers of every state ply here. Vehicles with numbers of any state can go to any part of the country, there is no restriction on this. Listen to this statement of BJP. This is extremely dangerous, worrying and insulting to Punjabis. They are marking vehicles with Punjab number plates and asking why are vehicles from Punjab roaming in Delhi?
They are saying as if Punjabis are a threat to the security of the country. This is extremely insulting to me and every Punjabi in the country. Today every Punjabi is feeling extremely pained and insulted. It is not right to question the patriotism of Punjabis in this way for your dirty politics. Amit Shah ji, you are neither able to keep the country's border safe nor Delhi. So many thousands of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas are coming to the country, don't you have a problem with them? But you are calling the Punjabis coming from Punjab to Delhi a threat to the country. You should apologize to the Punjabis."
Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also wrote, "(Translated version) There are lakhs of Punjabis living in Delhi whose families and ancestors have made countless sacrifices for the country. Lakhs of Punjabi refugees also live in Delhi who left everything behind during the difficult times of partition and settled in Delhi. Their families have also suffered numerous hardships. By what BJP leaders are saying today, they are insulting his martyrdom and sacrifice. I felt very sad to hear this statement. Delhi is ruled by Punjabis. By calling Punjabis a threat to the country, BJP has insulted lakhs of Punjabis living in Delhi. BJP should apologize to the Punjabis."