As New Delhi prepares to host the prestigious G20 Summit, the national Capital finds itself engulfed in a unique controversy over artistic fountains designed in the shape of a Shivling, a sacred symbol in Hinduism.
Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, sought to clarify that the fountains were not Shivlings but rather intricate art pieces crafted by a talented artisan from Rajasthan. His statement carried a message of inclusivity, acknowledging India's diverse spiritual beliefs. " "What they are calling a Shivling is the imagination of the sculptor. It is fine if they see god in it, but I see it as a piece of art. I cannot comment on others' opinions. I don't think there is any controversy," Saxena said. He added that India is a country where it is believed that every particle has god in it, where rivers are worshipped and trees are tied "rakhis".
Saxena said the preparatory work for the G20 summit in Delhi would have taken lesser efforts had the city Government worked throughout the last nine years.
“Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attended only one meeting on the G20 preparations, but no other Minister of the AAP Government did so,” he said.
"The work done in the last two months has proved that if they (AAP) had worked all through nine years, the efforts required would have been lesser," Saxena said when asked about the role of the Delhi Government in the preparations for the G20 summit.
Replying to a question on why Delhi Government Ministers were not seen at the meetings for G20 preparations and whether they were invited to such deliberations, the LG said, "Kejriwal attended one G20 meeting but after that, no one (AAP Ministers) came. I believe we should work together, but I have no grudges."
"Their (Ministers) thinking is different," he said on being asked about the synergy between the AAP Government and him in handling the preparatory work. "I saw some Ministers inspecting roads in the last few weeks, but I never saw anyone doing it in the last one year," Saxena added.
"The important thing is that such a big event is being held in Delhi. So it needs to be appreciated rather than being complained about that it will affect businesses.
“The delegates of 40 countries arriving in the city itself will boost business in Delhi," he said. "Ninety-eight per cent works have been completed and final touches will be completed by this evening. The heads of several nations are coming to India. We have a foolproof security plan," he said.
Talking about the administrative and political challenges faced by him in supervising the preparation works for the Summit, he said that Delhi is a complex city with multiplicity of agencies. "There was a need for good leadership, who can lead from the front, which I have tried to do."
