On January 12, Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe launched his first podcast, Apni Dilli Apni Baat. The teaser had featured snippets of forthcoming interviews with prominent BJP leaders, including MPs Manoj Tiwari and Bansuri Swaraj, cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Puri, former Aam Aadmi Party member and now BJP candidate Kailash Gahlot, and Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.

Sahasrabuddhe is a former member of the Rajya Sabha; national vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party between 2014 and 2020; and vice-chairman of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, a non-governmental organisation that trains government officials and has been linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. His series, hosted on a YouTube channel with just 14,000 subscribers, claims to “empower” Delhi voters to make the “right call” for the elections. Saxena is the sole government official on Apni Dilli Apni Baat so far. 

On X, Sahasrabuddhe shared a glimpse of the first interview, accompanied by a picture of himself gifting a book (The Art of Implementation: How Modi ki Guarantee is Delivered) to the LG. The book, co-authored by 15 people including Sahasrabuddhe and the LG of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, is about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s achievements.

Saxena has the distinction of being the first person with a corporate background to be selected for a gubernatorial post. Sahasrabuddhe’s interview with the LG of Delhi landed on YouTube on January 13, three weeks before Delhi’s assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held on February 5. 

Dressed in a blue Nehru jacket and seated at Raj Niwas, the official residence of Delhi’s LG, Sahasrabuddhe began the interview with Saxena saying, “Iss interview mai hum chahte hain ki doodh ka doodh paani ka paani hojaye, jo bhi tathya ho samne aaye logo ke [In this interview, we want to set the record straight and bring the facts into the public domain].” 

His first salvo: “They [the AAP government] accuse the central government of not letting them work, and on the other hand, their government is being accused of corruption.”

Saxena chuckled. “Such accusations show that they are looking for excuses because they have failed to fulfill their promises to the people,” he said before listing long-standing issues such as broken roads, air pollution, Yamuna’s water pollution, and mountains of garbage.

Saxena’s comments in the interview included several accusations and personal remarks against the AAP government and its chief minister, many of which echoed statements made by BJP leaders in the past. These included claims like, “You will not find the items in the Delhi CM’s house in any other CM’s house. The world’s most luxurious items are there” and “They have cheated the same poor people they talk about”. 

Though they come against the backdrop of the power distribution row, the similarities between the LG’s comments and the BJP’s rhetoric against AAP are unmistakable. At one point, Saxena made evident his discontent with Delhi’s elected representatives when he said, “I do not have words for this government.”

Throughout the interview, Sahasrabuddhe repeatedly emphasised that he did not wish to “disregard the dignity of the LG’s office”. To this, Saxena would shrug and remark, “Main apni peera kisse kahun [With whom can I share my suffering]?”

The 55-minute interview concluded with Sahasrabuddhe dropping subtle hints about voting for the BJP: “I expect that the voters would have understood a lot of things. One can read the lines, and one can read the lines in between as well. The LG has clearly shared his side of the story. I believe this will help you evaluate what you should do.”

Although the interview garnered just 10,000 views on YouTube, clips from the podcast were widely circulated on mainstream media and digital platforms. They were dubbed a “big exposé” of the AAP government by Saxena. Leaders from BJP’s Delhi unit, including Manoj Tiwari, urged their followers on X to watch the LG’s appearance on the podcast, touting it as a direct critique of the AAP government.

This was not the first instance in which Saxena in his role as LG has appeared to align with the BJP’s agenda. Here’s what we found.

Aligning with BJP’s rhetoric?

The first event used by the BJP to launch the party’s Delhi poll campaign was an inauguration organised by Saxena’s office. On January 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 1,675 newly-constructed flats for slum dwellers of JJ clusters in Delhi’s Ashok Vihar. The Delhi unit of BJP presented it as PM Modi’s “gift” to Delhiites ahead of the assembly elections. 

The press invite for the event was sent out by the BJP’s Delhi unit. The LG’s office told Newslaundry that it “never” sends press invitations. Vikram Mittal, head of Delhi BJP’s media cell, said the press invite “was sent because our president was part of it. We send press invites for all the events attended by him.”

Now, the flats were built under the Delhi Development Authority’s slum rehabilitation project – funded through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The DDA, which is led by the LG, functions under the central government and was the project’s implementing agency. 

As the PM targeted Kejriwal, saying that “I built no Sheesh Mahal for myself but four crore houses for the poor”, Saxena credited the prime minister for the flats. He said the flats were built as per the vision of the PM, and shared stories of the beneficiaries on X from the LG’s official handle. 

Saxena tweeted “Not just promises, but intentions come to fruition. Sabka Sath, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Samman. Jahaan jhuggi, wahin makaan.”

Three days later, on January 6, on the eve of Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, Saxena fulfilled the long-standing demand to rename “Vidhwa Colony” after Mata Gujri – the mother of the Sikh guru – and distributed 47 appointment letters to Sikh riot victims in Tilak Vihar in West Delhi. The colony was among the most affected during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 and earned the name “vidhwa”, or widow, because the residents were mostly widows of men killed during the violence that erupted under a Congress administration. 

The press invite to this event too was shared by the BJP’s Delhi unit. At the event, Saxena remarked that it was “gratifying” to finally provide the affected people with a “sense of justice, after 40 years of neglect”. BJP Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva, who was also present at the event said the victims had expressed their gratitude to the government of PM Narendra Modi. 

The same day, Home Minister Amit Shah paid respect at Gurudwara Shri Rakab Ganj in New Delhi. In the past, Shah has credited PM Modi for fighting to secure justice for these victims. 

Sikhs constitute approximately five percent of Delhi's population, there are around 8 lakh Sikh voters in the national capital, and their concentration peaks in assemblies like Rajouri Garden and Tilak Nagar (Tilak Vihar is in Tilak Nagar). The BJP has repeatedly targeted them by raising the issue of the 1984 riots and its victims as campaign planks. 

A little helping hand

Every year, the Delhi government organises Independence Day celebrations at Chhatrasal Stadium, during which the Delhi CM unfurls the national flag. Since Kejriwal was in jail in 2024, after being arrested in connection with an alleged scam centred on Delhi’s excise policy, he wrote a letter to the LG saying cabinet minister Atishi Marlena should unfurl the national flag in his place. 

Kejriwal’s nomination didn’t sit well with BJP Delhi president Sachdeva, who held a press conference on the matter. “According to the national flag protocol, only the CM is allowed to hoist the flag in the states. If he is unable to do so, then traditionally, the LG of Delhi will hoist the flag,” said Sachdeva. He added, “If he [Kejriwal] wants his minister Ms Atishi to hoist the flag, then he should trust her and resign, allowing her to take the oath as CM.”

Three days later, the LG’s office wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs on the “current impasse created because of peculiar circumstances of non-availability” of the CM for the occasion of Independence Day. The MHA authorised Saxena to nominate any minister from the Delhi government to hoist the flag. 

The LG’s choice was not Atishi, but AAP’s Kailash Gahlot who was then the minister for administrative reforms (months later in November, Gahlot would resign from his ministerial position and the AAP, and join the BJP as its candidate from Najafgarh). Sachdeva immediately welcomed the LG’s decision. 

The decision of who would unfurl the national flag is not one that directly impacts any political party, but it is one of the many relatively minor incidents that reflect the synchronicity between BJP’s demands and the LG’s decision-making. Between October 2024 to January 2025, there have been numerous occasions in which BJP’s Delhi unit has submitted demands to the LG on issues that strategically aid the party, followed by Saxena enacting decisions that align with the BJP’s agenda.  

For example, on October 17, 2024, the Delhi Development Authority increased the fees for lifetime membership at the sports complexes under the authority. Sachdeva and MLA Om Prakash Sharma wrote to the LG requesting a reversal of the fee hike. Two weeks later, LG issued an order to this effect, which was also announced on X: “Following representations from members of DDA sports complexes and public representatives, Hon'ble Lt Governor has advised DDA to withdraw the circular which increased membership and other fees in sports complexes. Khelega India tabhi toh Badhega India!”

BJP’s Delhi office said this was a Diwali gift to millions of sports enthusiasts in Delhi, adding that the rollback would particularly benefit aspiring athletes from lower-middle-class households.  

Minor advantages

On November 1, 2024, ANI’s X handle uploaded a letter from the LG to Delhi’s CM Atishi on the matter of declaring one of the days of the Chhath festival a national holiday. Prior to this, in October 2024, Saxena had tweeted from the official handle of the LG about the polluted condition of the Yamuna river, where pujas are traditionally offered during Chhath. 

In the letter, written in Hindi, Saxena wrote, “This year, November 7 falls on a day previously declared a restricted holiday. I urge the government to declare November 7, 2024 (Thursday), as a full-day holiday and process the necessary file promptly.” The letter gave the impression that the Delhi CM had been either careless or forgetful regarding Chhath, which is a major religious event for the Purvanchali community.

On the same day, the Delhi BJP had also demanded the AAP government declare Chhath Pooja as a public holiday. After Saxena’s letter was tweeted, the Delhi BJP shared it and thanked him. 

Purvanchalis constitute between 40 and 42 percent of Delhi's electorate and are spread out in a way that they influence nearly half of the constituencies in the national capital. Both the AAP and BJP have been looking to gain the community’s favour. The BJP has set up a dedicated wing in its Purvanchal Morcha. 

Within hours of the LG’s letter being made public, Atishi announced that November 7 would be declared a public holiday for Chhath. In an effort to capitalise on this, the BJP put up banners across the capital thanking the LG for declaring Chhath as a public holiday.

The LG has also proved to be an ally for the BJP in its anti-Rohingya campaign. Sachdeva and other leaders from Delhi’s BJP unit have pointed fingers at Rohingya refugees, claiming they are illegal migrants and responsible for encroaching upon roads and pavements, as well as spikes in petty crimes. The BJP has also accused AAP of padding the voter lists in Delhi with Rohingya, thus increasing their voter base and changing the city’s demographics. The AAP initially denied these accusations but later blamed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for the increase in illegal immigrants in Delhi. 

An estimated 40,000 Rohingya have taken refuge in India, according to the Indian government, of whom approximately 4,000 are believed to be in Delhi. 

On November 15, 2024, the LG issued instructions to the Chief Secretary, Delhi Police Commissioner, district magistrates and other senior officials to identify illegal immigrants in Delhi. In his letter, Saxena highlighted the same concerns that the BJP had repeatedly flagged: “Lieutenant Governor’s attention has been drawn to reports on social media and other reliable sources that there is a sudden spurt in the number of illegal immigrants in Delhi. There is also a rise in encroachment by such people on public roads, footpaths, parks etc.” 

The LG’s letter specifically mentioned that “a manipulative process” was being used to give illegal migrants identity documents such as Aadhar and Election Identity Cards. “Election Identity Card, if issued to illegal immigrants, provides them the most powerful right of democracy i.e. Right to Vote in our country. Giving such rights to illegal immigrants cannot be accepted by any Indian Citizen and such moves can even be detrimental to National security,” the LG’s letter stated. 

Unsurprisingly, the LG’s order was welcomed by Sachdeva, who issued a press statement to this effect. The RSS-linked Vishva Hindu Parishad also wrote to the LG seeking permission to assist police in tracing “illegal immigrants”. By December, reports started coming in of police action against illegal immigrants.

PDT Achary, former Lok Sabha secretary general, pointed to the tussle between the LG and the elected government of Delhi. “He [Saxena] cannot speak against the government that is his government under the constitution. So, if he criticises his own government, that means he is criticising himself because all decisions are taken under his watch and under his signature,” he said.

Achary added: “As a governor, he is the constitution head of the union territory. He is required to be above politics. The constitution has given him a certain task that is to administer the union territory on the advice of the council of ministers. You can not indulge in politics and seek votes for a particular party.” 

When contacted by Newslaundry, an official at the LG’s office refused to comment. We also emailed a questionnaire to Saxena’s office; this report will be updated if we receive a response. 

Update on Jan 21 at 3.07 pm: An earlier version of this report said Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe launched his first podcast on January 10. This has been corrected.

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