AAP’s Atishi claims Delhi being run by CM Rekha Gupta’s husband, BJP demands apology
Atishi claimed that the chief minister’s husband Manish Gupta took part in a meeting with municipal and other government officials.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi on Saturday claimed that Delhi was being run by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s husband, in response to which the Bharatiya Janata Party accused her of insulting democracy.
The BJP demanded that Atishi apologise to Gupta for her remarks.
In a post on social media, the AAP leader and former Delhi chief minister shared an image of Rekha Gupta’s husband, Manish Gupta, allegedly sitting in a meeting with officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Delhi Jal Board, the Public Works Department and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board.
“Earlier we used to hear that if a woman Sarpanch was elected in the village, then all the government work would be handled by her husband,” Atishi said on X. “But this must be the first time in the history of the country that a woman has become the Chief Minister and all the government work is being handled by her husband.”
The former chief minister asked if Rekha Gupta did not know how to handle government work.
“Is this the reason why there are long power cuts in Delhi every day? Is Rekha unable to handle the power companies?” Atishi asked. “Is this the reason why the fees of private schools are increasing? Is Rekha ji unable to handle the education department?”
यह फोटो ध्यान से देखिए। जो व्यक्ति MCD, DJB, PWD और DUSIB के अफसरों की मीटिंग ले रहे हैं, यह दिल्ली की मुख्यमंत्री रेखा गुप्ता जी के पति मनीष गुप्ता जी हैं।
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) April 12, 2025
हम पहले सुनते थे कि अगर गाँव में एक महिला सरपंच चुन कर आती थी, तो सारा सरकारी काम उसका पति संभालता था। ऐसा कहा जाता था कि… pic.twitter.com/ARMX8u98WR
Later on Saturday, Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva said that Rekha Gupta had risen through the ranks with her “own hard work and determination” to serve the public.
“Ms Atishi I am surprised to see your [social media platform] X Post that being a woman, you have made an insulting remark against Mrs Rekha Gupta,” Sachdeva said. “It is perfectly normal for Rekha Ji's husband to support her.”
He also noted that Sunita Kejriwal, wife of AAP chief and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had addressed the public “while sitting on the red chair” occupied by her husband while in power in his office after he was arrested in the liquor policy case in March 2024.
“Was this not an insult to democracy?” he asked.
Sachdeva asked Atishi to apologise to Rekha Gupta if she had “any political dignity”.
सुश्री @AtishiAAP आपकी यह X Post देख कर आश्चर्यचकित हूं की एक महिला होते हुए आपने - अपने खुद के परिश्रम से जन सेवा के संकल्प के साथ डूसू छात्रसंघ सचिव से लेकर दिल्ली के मुख्य मंत्री पद तक की यात्रा पूर्ण करने वाली श्रीमती @gupta_rekha जी के प्रति अपमान जनक कटाक्ष किया है।
— Virendraa Sachdeva (@Virend_Sachdeva) April 12, 2025
रेखा… https://t.co/hHd5Gd1WM8 pic.twitter.com/BhvX0YrKch
