NEW DELHI — The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that the crowd at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally on Sunday in Delhi was “manufactured” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that the sanitation workers and government teachers were forced to attend under pressure.
Senior AAP leaders, including Atishi, Kuldeep Kumar, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Manish Sisodia, addressed the media on Sunday and shared videos of workers being taken to the rally in buses. According to them, many of the workers were called in on their weekly off, Sunday, under the pretext of “official duty” and were threatened with consequences if they refused.
In a veiled reference to the Aam Aadmi Party Modi said at the rally that “conspiracies were recently hatched” to pit Delhi and Haryana residents against each other with “false claims” about contaminated water supply.
Sanitation Workers Forced on Day Off
Atishi, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, said that poor Dalit sanitation workers were rounded up from areas like Seemapuri, Janakpuri, and Laxmi Nagar and made to attend the rally instead of doing their usual duties. She called it a “blatant misuse of government power” and an insult to sanitation workers, who were hired to clean the city — not to fill rally seats.
“These workers have only one weekly holiday, and they use it to rest or attend to their families. But the BJP forced them to travel in buses to the rally,” she said. Some workers reportedly faced threats of job loss if they refused.
One worker shared that his pregnant wife was due to deliver soon, but he was still forced to go. A female sanitation worker, fasting for Krishna Janmashtami, was summoned early the next day despite it being her holiday.
BJP Misusing Government Machinery
AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar also accused the BJP of using government machinery for political purposes. “This shows BJP has no public support in Delhi,” he said. “Empty chairs at Modi’s rally prove that the public stayed away, so government employees were forced to fill the space.”
He added that Delhi’s people are angry due to issues like water shortages, power cuts, waterlogging, and the demolition of homes and shops. “Instead of addressing these problems, BJP is misusing MCD workers to show off support.”
Kuldeep Kumar demanded action against MCD Commissioner Ashwini Kumar for allegedly helping the BJP use government staff for political gain.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also slammed the BJP for allegedly forcing government school teachers to attend the rally and clap during the Prime Minister’s speech.
“Teachers were earlier being sent to Finland and Cambridge for training. Today, they are being asked to clap at ribbon-cutting ceremonies. This is a huge insult to their profession,” he said.
Sisodia added that while education was once a priority, the BJP is now treating teachers like rally props. He demanded an apology from the BJP for what he called a “disgraceful act.”
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised PM Modi for not speaking about his earlier promise of giving ₹2,500 to every woman in Delhi by March 8. “Women were expecting him to address the promise. But not a single word was spoken. This has lowered his respect among Delhi’s women,” Bharadwaj said.
AAP leaders strongly condemned the BJP’s alleged actions and called it “cheap politics.” They said the public’s absence at the rally clearly shows growing dissatisfaction with the BJP in Delhi. They also warned that misusing government staff for political events is undemocratic and must stop immediately.
