New Delhi, Oct. 10 -- Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal of putting political interests above public convenience, alleging that their actions could turn the national capital into a battleground and disrupt the daily lives of residents.
In a statement, Gupta criticised the Opposition leaders over a proposed protest, questioning the impact of political demonstrations on commuters, daily-wage workers and patients travelling to hospitals.
"Who will take responsibility for the troubles of employees heading to work, labourers earning a daily wage to support their families, and patients trying to reach hospitals?" she asked, adding that political ambitions should not come at the cost of the livelihoods, safety and peace of millions of families in Delhi.
The Chief Minister accused the opposition of being unable to accept the BJP's electoral success, arguing that Delhi had voted for development and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third consecutive term reflected public support for his leadership.
"Parties mired in dynastic politics and opportunism simply cannot digest this public backing," she said.
Targeting Kejriwal, Gupta accused him of attempting to disturb peace and security in the capital for political gains. She also referred to the opposition leaders' alleged association with CJP, describing the group as their "B-team", and accused them of seeking to create disorder under the guise of democratic protest.
The remarks came amid political tensions over the proposed demonstration, with the Chief Minister focusing on the potential inconvenience to residents and the need to maintain public order.
"Let it be known: Delhi will not be held hostage," Gupta said, warning that attempts to spread what she termed anarchy and challenge the people's mandate would be opposed.
She maintained that public demonstrations should not disrupt essential activities or compromise the safety of residents. Her statement, however, did not specify the expected scale of traffic disruption or provide details of arrangements being made to manage the proposed protest.
The comments underline the growing political confrontation between the BJP and opposition parties in Delhi, with public inconvenience and the right to protest emerging as competing points of contention.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.