Delhi CM Rekha Gupta blasts 'dharna king' Congress, AAP over CJP protest against SIR, CEC: ‘Why no protest in Punjab?’

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta lambasted the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday over protests against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

She called the CJP, the AAP's "B-team," and accused the Opposition parties and other outfits of "colluding with foreign elements" to harm India.

Rekha Gupta accused the Congress and the AAP of being "dharna king [king of protests]" and causing trouble in Delhi, and asked why their focus isn't on Punjab.

'Why no protest in Punjab?'

Addressing a press conference, Gupta challenged the AAP to protest in Punjab over the killing of an anti-drug activist there, and asked, "Where does this CJP go when issues arise in those states?"

Gupta raised questions over the law and order situation in Punjab, “Why isn't your focus on Punjab? Just yesterday, a murder took place in the state. Drug rackets are operating there. Common people cannot raise their voices."

VIDEO | Responding to a question regarding series of protests in the national capital, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, says, "It is surprising that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is being questioned in this manner, even though it is not being conducted for the first time in the country. Such revisions have been carried out on numerous occasions over the years by the Election Commission. This has been the practice regardless of which party was in power, either at the state or the central level. Why were there no voices raised against it earlier? Why are such objections being raised now?"

"Delhi has suffered losses worth thousands of crores of rupees today. Traders are distressed, and the public is suffering. This is solely because of them. Why do you want to stage sit-ins and protests? You want to oppose the system functioning in a democracy simply because you have failed to form the government. I want to ask... if you form the government in Tamil Nadu or Kerala, will such an exercise not take place there? Does this issue concern you only in states where you have failed to form the government? Where does this CJP go when issues arise in those states? Why does it not go there to stage protests? Now, following the murder linked to drugs yesterday, why doesn't CJP go to Punjab and stage a protest? Why does it function as the Aam Aadmi Party's 'B-team', working only on the political agenda conveyed by the Aam Aadmi Party? The Congress and these parties are all working together. They can see that the public is consistently rejecting them and that they have no political future in sight. The people of the country are fully satisfied with the development work being carried out under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The country is progressing and strengthening its position on the global stage. This is what troubles them. By joining hands with people abroad who are jealous of India, they continue to work towards harming the country."

#DelhiProtests #RekhaGupta

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"Why does it not go there to stage protests? Now, following the murder linked to drugs yesterday, why doesn't CJP go to Punjab and stage a protest? Why does it function as the Aam Aadmi Party's 'B-team', working only on the political agenda conveyed by the Aam Aadmi Party?," Gupta asked.

She said, "It has been Congress's policy to assert a sense of entitlement over everything that happens in the country. Driven by this resentment, they are troubling the nation, misleading the public, and creating difficulties for the entire country to serve their political agenda. Today, Delhi has suffered a loss of crores of rupees; traders and the general public are facing immense hardship."

'Delhi suffered losses'

Rekha Gupta also blamed the Opposition parties for "losses worth thousands of crores of rupees" due to the protest. She said Delhi suffered losses amounting to thousands of crores of rupees, and traders and ordinary people were harassed due to their protests.

"Delhi has suffered losses worth thousands of crores of rupees today only because of them. Traders are distressed, and the public is suffering. This is solely because of them. Why do you want to stage sit-ins and protests? You want to oppose the system functioning in a democracy simply because you have failed to form the government," Rekha Gupta said.

'SIR not happening for first time'

Questioning the Opposition's objections to Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Gupta said the exercise was not being conducted for the first time and cited the previous revision in Delhi in 2002.

Gupta targeted the Congress and the AAP over their electoral performance in the national capital. She criticised the political parties for their opposition to the SIR, pointing out that these parties never talk about the exercise in the states they have won elections.

Gupta said, “It is quite surprising, because SIR is not happening in the country for the first time. Why weren't such objections raised back then? The last SIR in Delhi took place in 2002. There was a Congress government at the Centre at the time; yet, was Congress able to win even a single seat in Delhi after 2015? Was SIR the reason for that?"

She added, "The public has completely rejected Congress, and that is the reason for these parties' resentment. I also want to ask the Aam Aadmi Party: everything was fine when your government came to power after the SIR, but now that the people of Delhi have rejected you, you suddenly remember protests and sit-ins.”

'Colluding with foreign elements'

Rekha Gupta said, "The Congress and these parties are all working together. They can see that the public is consistently rejecting them and that they have no political future in sight. The people of the country are fully satisfied with the development work being carried out under Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

She said the Congress and other organisations in collusion feel rejected by the people after electoral losses, because the public is satisfied with the Modi government's development works and the country's progress.

"This is the reason why they are trying to harm the country in collusion with foreign elements who envy India," Gupta alleged. "They are hurt after losing power and are hence troubling the whole country for their political ambitions," she added.

About the Author

Akriti Anand is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint. She is a digital journalist with more than six years in the news industry.<br><br> In her current role, she covers both national and international politics, and also keeps a close watch on the latest trends in science and space exploration. <br><br> Akriti joined the LiveMint team in October 2023. Before this, she built a strong career at other major media houses. She worked as a senior sub-editor at India Today. Later, she moved to CNBCTV-18. There, she covered high-pressure topics like breaking news and major elections. She spent much of her time analysing Parliament bills and complex political debates. She is also a skilled editor who knows how to polish a story for a digital audience. <br><br> One of her career highlights happened at CNBCTV-18. She made her first television debut during the Chandrayaan-3 mission. She also provided special on-air coverage for the Karnataka Elections. <br><br> When she is not busy with breaking news, Akriti loves to write explainers and interview experts on a wide range of issues. She also enjoys making complex space missions easy for everyone to understand. <br><br> Her education helps her tackle these diverse subjects. She holds a BA in English Literature, a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication, and a Master’s degree in Development Studies. She is currently expanding her knowledge in climate journalism.<br><br> Connect with Akriti here<br> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199">https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199</a><br> Twitter/X: <a href="https://x.com/AkritiAnand7">https://x.com/AkritiAnand7</a><br> Email: akriti.anand@htdigital.in