On Sunday, Delhi Chief Minister and BJP leader Rekha Gupta launched a sharp attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, calling him a “dummy CM” and claiming that the real power lies with AAP leaders from Delhi who have “shifted base to Punjab to loot people’s hard-earned money.”
Speaking at a campaign event for BJP candidate Jiwan Gupta in the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll, Gupta alleged that Mann only appears in advertisements while the actual administration is controlled by “rejected AAP leaders from Delhi.”
She also criticised AAP national convener and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, saying he brought several tainted party leaders—many of whom are currently out on bail—to Punjab after losing the Delhi Assembly election earlier this year. “These leaders are now running the show in Punjab,” she said.
Gupta also questioned AAP’s move to field Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora in the bypolls, suggesting it was Kejriwal’s attempt to regain political relevance after setbacks in Delhi. “It shows how power-hungry he is. He just can’t stay away from power,” she added.
She also claimed that Punjab’s debt has skyrocketed to ₹4 lakh crore under AAP’s governance, blaming the party’s “flawed policies.”
Targeting the female electorate, Gupta reminded them of AAP’s unfulfilled promise of providing ₹1,000 per month to every woman above the age of 18. “Not even a single penny has been given to women in Punjab,” she said.
Gupta further accused Kejriwal of being silent on national security matters. Referring to the recent Operation Sindoor, she said, “While the entire nation praised the Indian Army, Kejriwal and his party remained silent. Some even made insulting remarks about our military.”
On the issue of drugs in Punjab, she mocked AAP’s anti-drug campaign, alleging that heroin is still easily available outside schools and in villages. “Punjab has turned into a ‘Chitta Express’,” she said.
She also accused Kejriwal of faking concern for Punjabi culture and questioned why his Delhi cabinet never had a single Sikh minister during his decade in power. “Didn’t you find even one Sikh capable enough?” she asked.
Gupta went on to credit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for finally bringing justice to victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She highlighted that job appointment letters were recently distributed to the families of victims under the BJP government.
Earlier in the day, she received a warm welcome from BJP workers in Sirhind, Fatehgarh Sahib.
AAP Responds
In response, Punjab AAP president Aman Arora hit back, accusing the BJP of trying to divide people along religious lines. He said the BJP’s politics was aimed at creating communal tensions and urged voters to choose candidates based on their qualities and work—not on religion or identity.
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