NEW DELHI | The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly opposed the Rekha Gupta government’s move to allow people in Delhi to book alcohol from home ahead of Diwali. AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that the policy amounted to “Har-Har Rekha, Ghar-Ghar Theka” and called it a Karwa Chauth gift from the Chief Minister to women. He questioned the government’s priorities, stating that while it was concerned about alcohol consumers and traders, it had little concern for medicines in hospitals, children’s books or timely ambulance services. Giving the government 24 hours to withdraw the policy, Saurabh Bharadwaj warned that AAP would launch a major protest if it failed to do so.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi State Chief Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “The state of the Delhi government is this: ‘Har-Har Rekha, Ghar-Ghar Theka’ (Liquor shops everywhere, liquor delivered to every home). A poor patient comes to a hospital in Delhi, undergoes dialysis for 5 hours and then spends another 5 hours standing in a queue to get medicines. Rekha Gupta does not care why patients are standing in queues. Rekha Gupta is worried about why people who drink alcohol are standing in queues.”
He continued, “According to her, they have very important things to do. They have to drink alcohol and beat their wives at home, and fight with their neighbours. Rekha Gupta is extremely concerned about the time of those who drink alcohol. That is why she is saying that no one who drinks should have to stand in a queue and that people should place their orders from home. People should book alcohol from the comfort of their homes; the Rekha Gupta government is at their service.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj further stated, “The free bus travel for women introduced by the Arvind Kejriwal government was something they could not tolerate. They discontinued that facility and told women to get Pink Cards made. Women have been standing in queues for two days, but the government does not care. One-third of Delhi’s people have had their votes deleted, and those poor people are standing in queues because of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), but the government does not care about them either.”
“Whether people need a Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate, or an income certificate, they are standing in queues at Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) offices. Rekha Gupta does not care. But if someone who drinks alcohol is standing in a queue, the entire system must be arranged to ensure that person does not have to wait,” he asserted.
The AAP Delhi Unit Chief added, “Rekha Gupta has shown particular kindness towards women from the very first day. She must have thought, how could our sisters be allowed to celebrate Karwa Chauth without being able to book alcohol? How could that happen? So, exactly one day before Karwa Chauth, she announced that women should observe their fasts while their husbands book alcohol. This is a direct gift from Rekha Gupta to all the women of Delhi on the occasion of Karwa Chauth: the facility to book alcohol while sitting at home.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “We have warned CM Rekha Gupta that if this scheme is not withdrawn within 24 hours, we will demand the resignation of Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. We will not let him off; we will ensure that he resigns. We are going to launch a massive movement. We are giving the Rekha Gupta government 24 hours.”
He said, “If Rekha Gupta does not withdraw this policy, we will launch such a massive movement in Delhi that the police will be left watching. We will not let their government function. Our warning is clear: they have just 24 hours. Rekha Gupta must withdraw this scheme and apologise to the women of Delhi.”
The AAP Delhi Chief further stated, “Anyone can go to Gurugram or Noida and see how large the liquor shops are, as if they were airports. They do not close at 10 pm; some remain open until one or two in the morning. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, both ruled by the BJP, border Delhi. In Gurugram and Faridabad, there are liquor shops everywhere. You can travel 5 kilometres without coming across a single school, but you will find seven or eight liquor shops.”
He pointed out, “This was nothing but their false narrative. They fabricated a false excise policy case against several prominent AAP leaders, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. As soon as the case reached the court, the court stated that it was not even fit for a chargesheet. The court threw their chargesheet back in their faces. This is the reality of their politics: ‘Har-Har Rekha, Ghar-Ghar Theka’.”
Meanwhile, senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia stated in a post on X, “The special service of the Rekha Gupta government in Delhi is door-to-door alcohol delivery. A ‘liquor app’ is being launched so that people can order alcohol from the comfort of their homes. Under the Congress government’s liquor policy, there were 10 to 15 liquor shops in each ward. Some Delhi Development Authority (DDA) markets and malls even had as many as 25 shops.”
Manish Sisodia further stated, “When our government changed this and capped the number of liquor shops at a maximum of 3 per ward, the BJP spread rumours that liquor shops were being opened in every lane. Later, all the BJP’s lies were exposed in court. And now, these people are not merely bringing alcohol into every lane; they are introducing a policy to deliver it from door to door. Children need schools, but those are not available. Patients need medicines in hospitals, but they will not get them. Yet alcohol will be available at every doorstep.”
Meanwhile, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)House LoP Ankush Narang, stated, “An extraordinary scheme has been introduced by the BJP’s so-called four-engine government in the national capital. On one hand, Amit Shah delivers grand speeches about making the country free from addiction; on the other, the BJP government in Delhi is preparing to provide alcohol delivery to people at home. What kind of double standards does the BJP have? Does it want to protect young people from addiction, or make alcohol even more easily available?”
