In her statement, CM Rekha Gupta slammed both Rahul and Kerjiwal along with CJP

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of trying to turn the national capital into a “battleground” along with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), as police detained thousands of protesters attempting to reach Jantar Mantar for a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.In a post on X, Gupta said the capital would not be held hostage to political protests and alleged that the Opposition was seeking to vent its frustration over electoral defeats by disrupting public life.“Rejected by the countrymen, leaders Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, in league with their B-team CJP, seek to turn Delhi into a battleground. Why, after all, are these leaders so hell-bent on venting the frustration of their nonstop defeats on the public? What offense have the residents of Delhi committed, who are already tormented by the chaos on the streets?” she wrote.She targeted Kejriwal, alleging that he was attempting to disrupt peace and safety in Delhi for his “political self-interest”. “Let it be known: Delhi will not be held hostage. There will be a resolute fight against the politics of spreading anarchy under the guise of democracy and challenging the people’s mandate,” she asserted.Further continuing her jabs while hailing PM modi, she also said, “Delhi voted for development. Due to the unprecedented public support, PM Modi has become the leader who, in the history of India’s electoral politics, has been sworn in as Prime Minister for the third consecutive term. But parties mired in dynastic politics and opportunism simply cannot digest this public backing. Arvind Kejriwal, the instigator of anarchy who has bestowed upon himself the title of Delhi’s owner, is attempting to disrupt the peace and security of Delhiites for his political self-interest.“In her statement, she also posed multiple questions such as, “Who will take responsibility for the troubles of employees heading to work, laborers earning a daily wage to support their families, and patients trying to reach hospitals? Are your political ambitions greater even than the livelihoods, safety, and peace of millions of families in Delhi?”

The remarks came amid heightened security across Delhi, where police had denied permission for the CJP-led protest over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s functioning and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. CJP convener Abhijeet Dipke and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Delhi airport after arriving from Mumbai, while Kejriwal and several AAP leaders were also detained as they attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar.Also read: ‘Country governed by Parliament, not streets’ – BJP slams oppn, CJP over protestsThe crackdown triggered a political confrontation, with Congress and other Opposition leaders accusing the government of suppressing dissent, while the BJP defended the police action and alleged that the protest was an attempt to create unrest.