Senior BJP leader and Kalkaji candidate Ramesh Bidhuri has stirred controversy with his remarks targeting Delhi Chief Minister Atishi during an election rally.
In his speech, Bidhuri accused Atishi of neglecting public interaction over the past four years, only to become active during the election season. He went on to liken her campaign efforts to a "hirni" (deer) wandering aimlessly.
"Dilli ki janta nark bhog rahi hai galiyon mei... galiyon ki halat dekhiye... Kabhi Atishi nahi gayi milne logon se. Lekin ab chunaav ke samay jaise jungle mei hirni bhaagti hai vaise Atishi Dilli ki sadko pr hirni jaise ghoom rahi hain (The people of Delhi are suffering due to the poor condition of streets. Atishi never met the public before, but now, during elections, she is roaming the streets like a deer runs in the jungle)", Bidhuri said, referencing his opponent’s visibility during the campaign.
This is not the first time Bidhuri has made contentious remarks about his political opponent. Earlier, he sparked outrage by questioning Atishi’s identity and accusing her of altering her background. Speaking at another rally, Bidhuri said, "Atishi, who was Marlena, is now Singh. She has even changed her father. This Marlena became Singh. She changed her name. Arvind Kejriwal swore on his children not to align with the corrupt Congress. Marlena changed her father. This reflects the character of the Aam Aadmi Party."
AAP has yet to formally respond to the latest remarks, but the party chief Arvind Kejriwal strongly condemned the earlier comments, calling them an insult to women.
"BJP leaders have crossed all limits of shamelessness. BJP leaders are abusing Delhi Chief Minister Atishi ji. The people of Delhi will not tolerate the insult of a woman Chief Minister. All the women of Delhi will take revenge for this," Kejriwal stated in a Hindi post.
The high-stakes Kalkaji Assembly race pits Bidhuri against AAP’s Atishi and Congress’s Alka Lamba. The elections for the 70-seat Delhi Assembly are scheduled for February 5, with vote counting set for February 8.