Atishi Issues Show Cause Notices Over Independence Day Advertisement Without CM’s Photo

On Thursday, Delhi Minister Atishi issued Show Cause Notices to the Director and Secretary of the Information and Publicity Department for publishing an Independence Day advertisement that omitted the photo of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

In the notice, Atishi, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accused the department of bypassing her approval and issuing a half-page newspaper advertisement on August 15 without Kejriwal’s photo. The notice highlighted that despite her written directions on August 14 and express approval for a full-page advertisement featuring the CM’s photo, the department released a different version without her consent.

The notice described this action as “willful disobedience and gross insubordination” and stated that the lack of necessary ministerial approval rendered the entire process procedurally invalid. The notice also mentioned the potential deduction of the advertisement costs from the salaries of the Director and Secretary.

The officials have been given three days to respond, explaining why disciplinary action should not be taken against them and why the costs should not be recovered from their salaries.

Earlier in the week, Minister Atishi had also written to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw regarding severe waterlogging under the Zakhira underpass in Delhi. She pointed out that the main cause of the issue was the lack of proper water channelization from Indian Railways’ area, which lacked a drain culvert to direct the water to nearby drainage systems.