NEW DELHI: BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri on Tuesday accused Delhi chief minister Atishi of “shedding crocodile tears” a day after Atishi broke down during a press conference over his recent remarks on her father.
“Naturally, people of Delhi want to get rid of ‘AAP-da’ as soon as possible… AAP is used to playing the victim card when they know they are being exposed… The CM (Atishi) is shedding crocodile tears but she should say, does she support her father’s stand when he stood up in support of Afzal Guru?…” Bidhuri told news agency ANI.
Bidhuri, the BJP candidate fielded against Atishi in the upcoming Delhi polls, said that Atishi had ‘changed her father’. “This Marlena (surname used earlier by Atishi) became Singh, changed name. Kejriwal swore over his children not to go with the corrupt Congress, Marlena changed father. Earlier she was Marlena, now she has become Singh. This is their character,” he had said on Sunday.
At a press conference, Atishi became emotional whilst responding to these remarks.
“I want to tell Ramesh Bidhuri, my father was a teacher throughout his life, he has taught thousands of children coming from poor and lower-middle-class families, now he is 80 years old…now he is really ill that he can’t even walk without help,” she said. Further expressing her anger, she added, “Will you (Ramesh Bidhuri) do such a dirty thing for the sake of election? He has come down to the situation where he is abusing an old man. I never thought that this country’s politics could stoop so low.”
Bidhuri found himself the receiving end of criticism from other AAP leaders. Party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had strongly reacted to the statement and slammed Bidhuri and BJP. “BJP leaders have crossed all limits of shamelessness. BJP leaders are abusing Delhi Chief Minister Atishi ji,” he said. Further, calling for ‘revenge’, he had added, “The people of Delhi will not tolerate the insult of a woman Chief Minister. All the women of Delhi will take revenge for this.”
The BJP’s Kalkaji candidate had previously sparked controversy by stating he would construct roads in his constituency as smooth as Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s “cheeks” after winning.
Initially, Bidhuri defended his statement to the media despite opposition criticism. However, as the issue escalated, he expressed regret and withdrew his comments.
