After taking over as the 22nd Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi on Thursday, Vinai Kumar Saxena, in his address to the media, asked people to put the incidents of violence behind them and spread the message of love and unity.
“In recent times, I saw that many riots and disturbances took place in Delhi,” he said. The L-G said people should forget past episodes of violence and show the world their love for the country.
“I want to say apas mein lade aur khuun bhi bahaya hai bahut par, jo kuch bhi hua hai, achha hai use bhula do [We clashed and spilled much blood; however, it is better to let go of whatever has happened],” said Mr. Saxena.
He added, “Anything can be achieved if people are united”.
Delhi witnessed communal clashes last month while a ‘Shobha Yatra’ to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti was being taken out in Jahangirpuri. Earlier in February 2020, over 50 people were killed in communal riots in north-west Delhi.
‘Local Guardian’
“Having taken the oath, I want to tell every citizen of Delhi that I will not be their ‘Lieutenant Governor’, instead I will be their ‘Local Guardian.’ I will always be on the streets of Delhi to work for the betterment of the city,” the L-G said.
The L-G also said he would strive to bring the Centre and the Delhi government on the same page to make the Capital a “city of joy.”
He also expressed concern about the rising levels of pollution in the city.
“It is a harsh reality that Delhi is considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. Also, the city faces a major problem of traffic jams. With the support of the Delhi government, the Centre and with the cooperation of each one of you, we will work to get rid of traffic jams and rid Delhi of pollution, be it air pollution, water pollution or noise pollution,” the L-G added.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government would work together with the new L-G as it had done with his predecessor Anil Baijal.
“I assure to extend him full cooperation of the government. We will do a lot of good work together with Saxena saheb as we did with Anil Baijal-ji,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
Mr. Saxena, who was the chairperson of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), was appointed the Delhi L-G on May 23. His predecessor Anil Baijal resigned as L-G on May 18 citing “personal reasons”.
with agency inputs
