Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Newly appointed Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has found herself at the center of controversy after her old social media posts resurfaced. The posts, in which she took sharp digs at former CM Arvind Kejriwal, have been widely shared by both her supporters and critics following her appointment.
While BJP supporters see these posts as evidence of her long-standing criticism of Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, AAP backers have accused her of using inappropriate language.
BJP Defends Rekha Gupta’s Posts
Several BJP supporters have claimed that Ms. Gupta’s old posts reflect her commitment to taking on AAP when it was at its peak in Delhi politics. YouTuber Tushar Gupta, who runs the policy and politics channel The Atom, stated on X that Rekha Gupta is being targeted because she was among the few who directly challenged Kejriwal when AAP was in power.
“People are hating on Rekha Gupta, the new Chief Minister of Delhi, picking up her old tweets. They don’t care for the language, they just hate the fact that someone was answering back to Arvind Kejriwal and Co in the language they best understand,” he posted.
Many BJP supporters have also indicated that Ms. Gupta’s social media presence helped galvanize support against the Kejriwal-led AAP government.
AAP and Opposition Leaders Slam Gupta’s Language
On the other hand, AAP supporters and opposition leaders have accused Ms. Gupta of using “abusive” and “rowdy” language in her posts. Screenshots of deleted tweets mocking Kejriwal have gone viral, with critics questioning whether such rhetoric is suitable for a chief minister.
Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose was among those who condemned her past remarks.
“Disturbing reports on social media on Delhi’s new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s past abusive language and rowdyism. What a far cry from the hard-working and gracious Sheila Dikshit and the articulate parliamentarian Sushma Swaraj. But this is the ‘new’ BJP where vicious abuse and vitriol have been normalized,” Ms. Ghose wrote on X.
In response, a BJP supporter countered, “The dynamic language was rightly used against corrupt ministers. And with that intent, it still sounds better than ‘hamba hamba, bamba bamba, khamba khamba,’” referencing Mamata Banerjee’s remarks against BJP defectors in 2021.
Delhi’s Political Landscape After BJP’s Victory
The BJP’s return to power in Delhi after 26 years has reshaped the city’s political dynamics. With Rekha Gupta at the helm, the party is expected to fulfill key poll promises, continue welfare schemes initiated by the AAP government, tackle pollution and infrastructure issues, and work towards cleaning the Yamuna River.
BJP won 48 out of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections, decisively ending AAP’s decade-long rule. AAP suffered a significant setback, securing only 22 seats—marking a sharp decline from its dominant position five years ago.
