NEW DELHI — In a stinging political offensive following a weekend of widespread urban blockades and mass detentions, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta held Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal directly responsible for turning the national capital into a political battleground.
Addressing the fallout of the youth-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) demonstrations, which resulted in nearly 3,000 detentions across the city, Chief Minister Gupta accused opposition leaders of using proxy groups to inflict chaos on ordinary citizens to avenge their political losses.
Key Takeaways
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Proxy Agitation Allegation: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta characterized the CJP as an opposition “B-team,” asserting that Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal engineered the protests to destabilize normal life in the capital.
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Civic and Economic Impact: The Chief Minister condemned the disruption caused to daily commuters, daily-wage earners, and emergency services due to street confrontations and transit shutdowns.
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Firm Rejection of Anarchy: Gupta warned that attempting to hold the capital hostage over political grievances would not be tolerated by the administration or the public.
“Holding Delhi Hostage Will Not Be Permitted”
Condemning the agitation demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Minister Gupta took to social media to question why ordinary residents were forced to bear the brunt of opposition frustration.
“Rejected by the people of the country, Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, along with their B-team CJP, want to turn Delhi into an arena,” Chief Minister Gupta stated. “Why are these leaders hell-bent on taking out their frustration over non-stop defeats on the public? What is the fault of Delhiites troubled by chaos on the streets? Be reminded, holding Delhi hostage will not be permitted.”
Gupta singled out former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of pursuing an opportunistic political strategy aimed at undermining public order for electoral leverage.
High-Voltage Standoff Draws Apex Court Scrutiny
The Chief Minister’s sharp remarks come after two days of intense security operations across central Delhi. Law enforcement actions included boarding a commercial flight to detain CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, intercepting former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a silent sit-in at a South Avenue bus stop, and transporting hundreds of detained activists to Chhatrasal Stadium.
While city authorities maintained that firm policing was necessary after denying event permissions due to short notice, the administrative lockdown—marked by the closure of 45 metro stations and cancellation of over 250 trains—faced sharp scrutiny from the Supreme Court, which cautioned against using overly harsh administrative measures to manage public gatherings.
