School students form the name of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as part of Independence Day celebrations at Chhatrasal Stadium.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was drawn into a controversy today after students attending an Independence Day function that he addressed this morning spelled his name in a visual formation at a Delhi stadium.
The students spelled the CM's name several times during his 40-minute speech. The perfectly formed red "Arvind Kejriwal" stood out stark against white in a stand at the Chhatrasal stadium, and pictures were soon shared widely, provoking a barrage of criticism on social media and from political rivals.
The Chief Minister tweeted his disapproval. "Some school students made visual formation of my name during Independence celebrations. I was not at all aware that students wud do this," he tweeted, adding that this seemed to be a regular practice at such functions in Delhi.
"I agree this is a wrong practice. I will stop this practice forthwith," said Mr Kejriwal, who made his first Independence Day address as Delhi chief minister today.
BJP state president Satish Upadhyay accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of "politically misusing" the function.
Lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan, who was expelled by Mr Kejriwal from the AAP earlier this year, tweeted, "From crs on personality cult promoting Kejriwal ads to 'Jai Ho Kejriwal' instead of Jai Hind. Shameful Megalomania." (sic)
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken - who has gone to court against a series of Dehli government ads that he alleges glorified Mr Kejriwal - called today's incident a "shame",
The Delhi government has since released photographs from Independence Day celebrations in previous years showing formations spelling Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung's name and that of former Chief Minister Sheila Diskhit of the Congress.
"I think it is deliberate mischief. Last year school children had displayed LG's name at the I-day function. Before that the name of CM was regularly displayed at I-day celebrations. School children displayed a variety of placards, why the selective targeting?" a government spokesperson said.