Bedi files nomination, stokes row over scarf on Lajpat Rai statue

BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi Wednesday filed her nomination papers from the Krishna Nagar constituency, but stoked a controversy when she put a party scarf around the statue of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai during a road show.

Before filing her nomination papers for the Feb 7 assembly polls, Bedi participated in a road show around 9.30 a.m. from Lala Lajpat Rai Chowk in her constituency to the office of the sub-divisional magistrate.

Hundreds of supporters with saffron Gandhi caps and party flags joined the road show and raised slogans praising Bedi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Standing atop an open jeep, Bedi was accompanied by union minister and former legislator from Krishna Nagar, Harsh Vardhan, Lok Sabha member from East Delhi Maheish Giri and senior BJP leader Vijay Goel.

Bedi, however, stoked controversy when she put a party scarf around the statue of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai during the road show.

Bedi stopped at the statue to pay tributes. She then removed the saffron and green coloured BJP scarf with the lotus symbol on it from around her neck and wrapped it around the statue.

Bedi also cleaned the statue before continuing with her road show.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who is Bedi's main opponent, criticised her action and asked the BJP to "spare freedom fighters".

Bedi, however, said it was her way of paying respect to Lala Lajpat Rai.

She also interacted with locals, especially rickshaw pullers, shopkeepers and municipality workers cleaning the streets, and assured them she will address their problems if she was elected.

Bedi reached the sub-divisional magistrate's (SDM) office around noon and the process of filing her nomination papers took over one and a half hours.

Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay, who did not participate in the road show as he was "stuck in traffic", joined Bedi at the SDM office.

Considered a "traditional" seat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bedi said the development work done in Krishna Nagar was due to the efforts of former legislator from the seat, Harsh Vardhan, who is now a union minister.

"He (Harsh Vardhan) has done a lot of good work here and I hope people will accept me and vote for the BJP," Bedi told reporters before filing her papers.

Harsh Vardhan said: "I am sure Bedi will win from the seat. The party is fighting collectively."

In the last assembly poll, the party had fielded senior leader Harsh Vardhan from the seat who had won by a margin of over 40,000 votes.

Wednesday was the last day of filing nominations.

Along with Bedi, many other BJP leaders -- Jagdish Mukhi (Janakpuri), Krishna Tirath (Patel Nagar) and Vijender Gupta (Rohini) -- filed their nominations.