The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has thrown down the gauntlet to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, announcing it has accepted her challenge for a public debate on the work done in Delhi during her tenure and that of previous governments. Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj welcomed the CM’s call for an open discussion, recalling that she had issued the challenge during the inauguration of the Drainage Master Plan.
The AAP Delhi unit chief said AAP is ready to face her anytime and anywhere she specifies, and pointedly reminded that BJP leaders in the past have often fled from such debates — expressing hope that this time CM Rekha Gupta will not back out.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “Today CM Rekha Gupta has inaugurated not a drainage project, but only a drainage master plan. During this, she claimed that previous governments did no work on the issue of waterlogging and drainage. After that, she challenged the previous government, saying that they should come and speak with her about what work was done in 10 years compared to the eight months of her own tenure.”
Welcoming the challenge, the former Delhi minister said, “We are thankful to Rekha Gupta that she is giving the people of Delhi a platform where the work of the previous government can be debated and compared with the work of the BJP government. She wants to hold a public debate, and I wholeheartedly welcome this challenge. The Aam Aadmi Party accepts her challenge.”
Calling for concrete steps, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “I want Rekha Gupta and the BJP to announce the time and place as soon as possible. Wherever they say, we are ready to come and debate on this subject. We are ready for a discussion, and it is very important for democracy that such issues can be discussed and debated.”
Warning against backing out, he added, “My only request to her is that she should not run away. Many times BJP leaders have given challenges and then backed out. I appeal to her that now you have given a challenge, and we have accepted it, so please fix the time and place at the earliest. The time you like, the venue you prefer, the date you want — we are ready to hold an open debate with you on your tenure versus our tenure. Rekha Gupta should not give a challenge and then flee.”
