The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaged in a heated exchange on Saturday regarding the reinstatement of bus marshals, with both sides accusing each other of staging political theatrics. AAP leaders organized a protest outside the Lieutenant Governor's office, resulting in the detention of several members.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, an AAP leader, met with BJP MLAs at the Delhi Secretariat and persuaded them to accompany her to the Lieutenant Governor’s office to submit a cabinet note concerning the bus marshals' reinstatement, which had previously been approved by the Delhi Cabinet.

However, AAP representatives alleged that the BJP MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, were reluctant to join them at the office alongside a delegation of bus marshals. AAP shared videos online showing party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj dramatically falling at Gupta's feet in an effort to convince him to go.

"It was decided that we would go to the Lieutenant Governor's office with Vijender Gupta to submit the cabinet note. Now Gupta is trying to avoid sitting in his own car," Bharadwaj said in the video, which also showed Atishi seated in Gupta's vehicle while he hesitated to join her.

Another video depicted Gupta’s car stopping en route, with Bharadwaj accusing the BJP leader of attempting a "U-turn" on the issue.

Meanwhile, AAP staged a sit-in outside the Lieutenant Governor's office, asserting that they and the bus marshals were denied entry.

“All the civil defense volunteers (bus marshals) were present in the morning meeting at the Delhi Secretariat. They witnessed what transpired. When these bus marshals were sent to the Lieutenant Governor's office with Chief Minister Atishi in Gupta's car, the Lieutenant Governor sent them all away,” Bharadwaj stated, adding that he and other AAP members were detained by police.

“This is a betrayal of the bus marshals. The cabinet's decisions regarding the regularization of bus marshals and civil defense volunteers have been made. Now, the BJP needs to finalize their regularization and issue joining letters,” Atishi declared.

In response, the BJP accused AAP of creating a spectacle. "These bus marshals were removed by Arvind Kejriwal, and his letter is public. Now that elections are approaching, AAP leaders are suddenly concerned about the bus marshals. While they are busy with their political drama, the Lieutenant Governor was meeting with the bus marshals’ delegation and assured them that serious action would be taken,” said Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva.

The BJP also shared photos of the Lieutenant Governor meeting with the bus marshals inside his office, claiming credit for facilitating the meeting.

Over 10,000 civil defense volunteers, who had been serving as marshals on public transport buses, were removed last year after objections were raised by the Directorate of Civil Defence regarding their designated duties in disaster management.