Following the horrific attack on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who was slapped by a man earlier today, a fierce political battle has now emerged between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The AAP maintains that the attack was sincere and strongly condemned, while BJP officials have charged the AAP with planning the incident. What started out as a security breach has quickly devolved into a verbal sparring match.
The Attack and Arrest
Rekha Gupta was assaulted during a public event when a man, identified as Rajesh Bhaiji, slapped her in full public view. Initial police investigations suggested that Bhaiji was angry at the Delhi government for not opposing the Supreme Court’s recent order directing the removal of stray dogs. He was arrested soon after the incident, and Gupta later posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she was safe and recovering.
The Chief Minister also received support from AAP’s top brass, with party chief Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Atishi strongly condemning the attack, stating that violence has no place in a democratic system.
AAP MLA Stokes Controversy
However, the matter took a dramatic turn when Anil Jha, AAP’s MLA from Kirari, dismissed the attack as “a drama” allegedly staged by the CM herself. Claiming to have known Rekha Gupta since their student politics days, Jha alleged that she had a “history of theatrics” to gain sympathy and attention.
“There’s been no attack. She put that man there herself, to create this drama for a story. She’s been doing this drama for years,” Jha reportedly said. He even recounted an incident from their youth, alleging that Gupta once burnt a few strands of her own hair during a protest to claim injury.
Calling Gupta and the BJP “naatak company, chor manager,” Jha’s comments were quickly picked up by the opposition.
Also Read: Who is Rajesh Sakriya? Man With 9 Cases Who Attacked Delhi CM Rekha Gupta
BJP Hits Back Hard
The BJP, which had initially condemned the attack, reacted sharply to Jha’s remarks. Delhi BJP secretary Harish Khurana accused AAP of conspiring to defame the CM while trivialising an assault that posed a serious threat to her safety.
“Is this your party’s official line? Your MLA is saying that no attack took place and the chief minister is creating drama, so why are you condemning the attack? It seems to me that there might be a conspiracy by AAP because you have a history of being involved in such acts,” Khurana posted on X, tagging Arvind Kejriwal directly.
Khurana also attempted to link the accused, Rajesh Bhaiji, to AAP’s Gujarat leader Gopal Italia by sharing an image. However, AAP clarified that the image was fake and generated through AI editing. Italia himself hit back, accusing Khurana of engaging in “cheap antics” and dragging the late veteran leader Madan Lal Khurana’s name into political mudslinging.
AAP’s Response
While Jha’s remarks remain officially unaddressed by AAP’s central leadership, Kejriwal and Atishi have firmly rejected BJP’s allegations of staging the attack. “Differences of opinion and opposition are acceptable, but there can be no place for violence,” Kejriwal tweeted. Atishi, speaking on television, insisted that the fake image circulated by BJP leaders was proof of an attempt to mislead the public and shift focus away from the real issue: a physical assault on the Chief Minister.
Also Read: Rekha Gupta Hits Back After Attack, ‘Such Acts Can Never Break My Spirit’
Politics Over Safety
Now, the incident is more about political positioning than the actual attack. BJP is using Jha’s remarks to corner AAP, painting the party as divided and insincere in its defense of its own chief minister. However, the AAP is accusing the BJP of launching a smear campaign by disseminating phony images and casting doubt on the gravity of an attack on a sitting chief minister.
