The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Thursday traded barbs over the demolition of religious structures in the national capital, The Indian Express reported.

The Raj Niwas claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party government had approved the demolition of 25 religious structures between 2016 and 2023.

However, the Aam Aadmi Party claimed that the lieutenant governor “directly” controlled a religious committee empowered to undertake the removal of such sites.

The exchange came after Chief Minister Atishi on Tuesday claimed that the religious committee had decided to demolish six religious structures with Saxena’s approval at a meeting on November 22.

Atishi, in a letter to the lieutenant governor, urged him to refrain from demolishing the structures, which included Hindu temples and a Buddhist place of worship.

In response to Atishi’s claims, the Raj Niwas in a statement on Thursday alleged that 24 Hindu religious structures, including 22 temples, as well as one mazar, were approved for demolition by former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other Aam Aadmi Party ministers between 2016 and 2023.

A mazar, colloquially known as a dargah, refers to a shrine built over the grave of a revered Muslim religious figure, whose name it usually bears.

Citing official documents related to the matter, the Raj Niwas claimed that Kejriwal had on February 8, 2023, recommended the demolition of nine temples in different parts of Delhi, The Indian Express reported.

“Kejriwal and the then [home] minister Manish Sisodia had approved the recommendations of the religious committee for demolition of these 9 temples,” the statement said. It added that seven of the nine temples were situated in Karawal Nagar and the other two in New Usmanpur.

It also claimed that former Home Minister Satyendra Jain had approved the demolition of eight temples in different parts of Delhi on June 23, 2016.

“…on 17.07.2017, Satyendra Jain had rejected the recommendations of the religious committee for demolition of 2 unknown mazaars citing ‘religious sentiments and sensitivities’, despite the fact that the Committee had found no historical significance of the said structures and that only 5-10 persons visited those mazaars every week,” the statement said, according to The Indian Express.

“Given the facts, those who make allegations against the L-G [lieutenant governor] secretariat, should retract their statements, apologise and refrain from indulging in cheap politics,” The Indian Express quoted an unidentified official from the Raj Niwas as saying.

Later on Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party claimed that the lieutenant governor “directly” controlled the committee empowered to undertake the removal of religious structures and that officers who were part of it were appointed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre, The Indian Express reported.

“Did the file of the religious committee bypass the Minister of Home and the Delhi Chief Minister to reach the L-G?” the Aam Aadmi Party asked on Thursday. “Did the L-G approve this file? It is very clear that these officers have been appointed by the Central government, and the L-G directly controls the Religious Committee.”

The party also claimed: “It is amply clear that the L-G has been caught red-handed trying to order demolitions of temples through members directly appointed by him in the religious committee on the order of 22.11.2024. Therefore, the L-G is now trying to distract attention.”

This exchange came after Kejriwal on Monday announced a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000 for Hindu temple priests and granthis of gurdwaras if the Aam Aadmi Party retained power in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The Assembly elections in Delhi are expected by February.