AAP, BJP Spar Over Rekha Gupta’s Husband Attending Govt Meeting: ‘Nothing Wrong’ | Politics News

Last Updated:September 08, 2025, 11:35 IST

The AAP slammed the ruling BJP party over CM Rekha Gupta’s husband attending an official Delhi government meeting in Shalimar Bagh, calling it “unconstitutional”.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta at an official meeting alongside her husband. (Rekha Gupta/X)

A political row erupted over Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s husband Manish Gupta’s presence at an official government meeting to review the development projects in the Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) calling it unconstitutional.

“In the meeting, officials were directed to regularly assess the progress of ongoing works in the area and submit detailed status reports within the stipulated timeframe. Additionally, discussions were held on the progress of completed and pending projects, and guidelines were issued for resolving departmental issues related to land use,” Gupta said on X on Sunday.

Rekha Gupta’s husband, Manish Gupta, who is a businessman and a trader based in Shalimar, was seen at the meeting, triggering an uproar. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned why Rekha Gupta allowed her husband to attend the meeting and compared it to the fictional village of ‘Phulera’, where the female pradhan’s husband wields influence.

“The Delhi government has become a Phulera panchayat. Just as in Phulera’s panchayat, where the woman sarpanch’s husband acted as the sarpanch, today in Delhi, the CM’s husband is sitting in official meetings,” Bharadwaj wrote on X.

“This is completely unconstitutional. In the nation’s capital, democracy and the constitutional system are being mocked in this manner. The BJP, which relentlessly criticises Congress for dynastic politics, should explain – is this not dynastic politics? Does the CM of the world’s largest party have no worker left whom she can trust? What is that work which only a family member can do?”

AAP leader Sanjay Singh also echoed similar sentiments, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appointed two Chief Ministers in Delhi. “Rekha Gupta is the Chief Minister, her husband is the Super Chief Minister. BJP has wrecked Delhi in 6 months,” he said.

BJP Responds To Controversy

Meanwhile, the BJP responded to AAP’s allegations by saying that there was “nothing wrong” in Ms Gupta’s husband sitting in the government meeting. “First of all, Manish Gupta is not only the husband of Rekha Gupta, but he was also looking after the constituencies of Shalimar Bagh,” BJP’s Harish Khurana told NDTV.

“He was looking after it as a social worker. He led the people’s delegation. As a representative, he can sit there. The meeting was not just for officers. A few residents were also sitting there,” he commented, adding that the AAP was frustrated.

BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “The Aam Aadmi Party should find something more substantive to target Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. She was holding a review meeting of her constituency, which is managed by her husband—just as Smt. Sheila Dikshit’s constituency was managed by her sister Rama Dhawan, and Sunita Kejriwal used to look after Arvind Kejriwal’s.”

“Unlike Sunita Kejriwal, however, the CM’s husband was not sitting on her chair or issuing illegal orders that senior officers were forced to record on file as “CM Madam has directed.” Stop targeting Rekha Gupta just because she is a woman who is doing a good job and making Arvind Kejriwal look more ordinary with each passing day,” he added.

A similar row had erupted in April when Manish Gupta was seen at a government meeting involving officers from the municipal corporation, Delhi Jal Board, and Public Works Department, while the Chief Minister was not present. AAP leader Atishi had accused Gupta’s husband of unofficially running the government.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More

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