Delhi deserves a leader who is accountable to the public — not someone hiding behind Instagram reels and unelected relatives, says senior party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj
NEW DELHI – A fresh political storm is brewing in the national capital after senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday made explosive allegations against Delhi’s newly appointed BJP Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her husband. The opposition party in the Delhi assembly accused the BJP of mocking the Constitution and disrespecting the democratic mandate by allowing Rekha Gupta’s husband — a private citizen with no official role — to attend meetings, inspect public projects, and issue instructions to government officials.
In a detailed press briefing, senior AAP leader and a former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj minced no words in berating the chief minister, calling her husband’s role “unconstitutional, illegal, unethical and dangerous.” He claimed that the BJP was trying to create a parallel power structure in Delhi, one that bypasses democratic norms and places governance in the hands of an unelected individual.
“Rekha Gupta, and not her husband, was elected by the people of Shalimar Bagh,” said Bharadwaj. “What we are seeing today is a full-scale constitutional violation. The chief minister’s husband is acting like a de facto CM, giving directions to officers, holding meetings, inspecting government projects, and making social media reels to show his control over the administration. This is not governance — this is daylight subversion of democracy.”
According to Bharadwaj, the growing presence of the chief minister’s husband in official matters is not accidental — it is a deliberate strategy by the BJP to insert an unelected family member into the system and centralise power in non-accountable hands.
“Even the chief minister is posting these videos, showing her husband directing officers. What message is she giving to the bureaucracy, to contractors, to the people? That he runs the show? If this is not a mockery of the Constitution, then what it is?”
He said that such tactics have long been used in India, especially in local bodies where women candidates are often made to contest reserved seats but their husbands run the administration behind the scenes. “But this is not a village panchayat,” he said. “This is the capital of the Republic of India. We are being watched by the entire world. And in Delhi, BJP has reduced governance to a family affair. It’s shameful.”
Bharadwaj also raised sharp questions directly aimed at the BJP leadership: Is Rekha Gupta not capable or competent enough to perform her duties as chief minister without her husband’s help?
Why hasn’t the BJP appointed a proper OSD (Officer on Special Duty) or PS (Private Secretary) to support her? And under which law is her husband allowed to issue instructions to Delhi government officials?
“This is not a family business. Governance cannot be outsourced to a spouse. The Constitution doesn’t allow any CM — man or woman — to delegate powers to a husband or wife,” Bharadwaj asserted.
He also slammed BJP’s social media head Amit Malviya for defending the actions of the chief minister’s husband. “Malviya compared this to Sheila Dikshit’s sister managing her constituency. First of all, that comparison itself is deeply problematic. Secondly, he has now admitted that Rekha Gupta’s husband is actively managing a constituency. What more proof do you need that power has been handed over illegally?”
The AAP leader said the issue is too serious to be brushed under the carpet and confirmed that the party will take the matter up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who often speaks about integrity and transparency in governance.
“We want to know: what does the Prime Minister have to say about a chief minister who posts reels of her husband exercising political authority over government officials? Is this his idea of ‘good governance’?”
Bharadwaj expressed concern about the potential misuse of power and corruption, asking whether the chief minister’s husband is also attending closed-door meetings with contractors, officials, and tender holders. “Who else is he meeting in the chief minister’s name? What decisions is he influencing without any accountability? These are serious questions, and the BJP’s silence is only making them more urgent.”
In concluding remarks, Bharadwaj accused the BJP of having no respect for the Constitution or democratic institutions.
“They have turned the office of the chief minister into a family-run operation. This is unconstitutional, unethical, and a betrayal of the people’s trust. Delhi deserves a leader who is accountable to the public — not someone hiding behind Instagram reels and unelected relatives.”
As videos continue to circulate of the chief minister’s husband walking with security, giving directions to government engineers and officials, the controversy is only growing. AAP has made it clear that this issue will not go away quietly, and has called upon civil society, the media, and constitutional authorities to take note of what they call a “dangerous new low” in Indian politics.
Cover photo: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and her husband Manish Gupta attending an official government meeting. This photo was shared by AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj on social media.
