Amid a police crackdown on anti-CEC protests, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Saturday that the national capital will not be held hostage and accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of trying to turn the city into a "battleground" with their "B-Team", the CJP.
Authorities detained over 7,000 people, including top Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders, Kejriwal, leaders from Left parties and Trinamool Congress, activists and students, while foiling a planned CJP protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The CJP accused Kumar of masterminding voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, as well as other irregularities related to Form 6, used for voter registration. CJP convener Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Delhi airport on their arrival from Mumbai.
Gupta, in a post on X, alleged that Gandhi and Kejriwal, rejected by the people, sought to turn Delhi into a battleground in collusion with their "B-Team".
"Why are these leaders so hell-bent on venting frustration over their nonstop defeats on the public? What offence have residents of Delhi committed to be tormented by the chaos on the streets?" Gupta wrote.
She asserted the party would fight resolutely against politics that spreads anarchy under the guise of democracy and challenges the public mandate. She also criticised Kejriwal, accusing him of trying to disrupt safety and peace in Delhi for his "political self-interest".
"Kejriwal, who worships anarchy and has bestowed upon himself the title of Delhi's owner, is attempting to disrupt the peace and security of Delhiites for his political self-interest," Gupta said.
Heavy security deployment and restrictions were imposed in the national capital. Several opposition leaders, including former chief ministers Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar, were also detained as they attempted to join the protest.
Gupta questioned who would be held responsible for the trouble caused to people heading to work, daily wagers trying to support their families and patients trying to reach hospitals, amid the protests.
"Are your political ambitions greater even than the livelihoods, safety and peace of millions of families in Delhi?" she asked.
"Delhi voted for development. Due to the unprecedented public support, Narendra Modi became Prime Minister for a third consecutive term," Gupta said.
However, the parties steeped in "dynastic politics and opportunism" simply cannot digest this public support for Modi and BJP, she said.
In another post on X, Gupta said what happened on the streets of Delhi was "extremely unfortunate" and accused Congress, AAP, the Left, and the CJP of wreaking "havoc" in the name of protest, and lauded the Delhi Police and security forces for handling the situation with patience and responsibility.
"The Delhi Police, engaged in ensuring law and order, and all security forces were provoked, and deliberate attempts were made to create a confrontational situation," the chief minister said.
"The professional agitators made every effort to spoil Delhi's atmosphere of harmony, but due to the dedication of our police and security forces, everything remained under control," she said.
The law will be enforced with absolute firmness, she said.
Delhi BJP president and Union minister Harsh Malhotra said the CJP's call for a protest at Jantar Mantar was a "complete flop", and the few "brainwashed youth" who took to the streets lost their "morale" after seeing Dipke and other party leaders detained.