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Arvind Kejriwal said it was “unbecoming” of Delhi CM Rekha Gupta to mock Vipassana meditation, arguing that political rivalry should not extend to ridiculing a spiritual practice.
File photos of Arvind Kejriwal/Rekha Gupta (PTI)
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said it was “unbecoming” of a chief minister to mock Vipassana meditation, and that she too must try the medidation, responding sharply to remarks made by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta while attacking his record on pollution.
In a post on X, Kejriwal, the former Delhi Chief Minister, said that while political rivalry was understandable, ridiculing a spiritual practice taught by Lord Buddha crossed a line.
“You harbour political enmity towards me. However, it does not behove you to mock the divine Vipassana meditation method taught by Lord Buddha in this manner,” a rough translation of Kejriwal’s post in Hindi suggested.
Gupta, while speaking at an event last week on measures to tackle air pollution, had taken a swipe at Kejriwal, saying her government would not leave Delhi and “run away” to practise Vipassana to “cure his cough”.
She later shared a clip of the speech on social media, reiterating that her government was working on solutions while staying in the national capital.
“We are finding solutions to Delhi’s pollution problem while living and working in Delhi. We are not like those who leave Delhi to its fate and run away every six months to do Vipassana,” Gupta could be heard saying in the video.
“My Delhi, my responsibility, we are working with this spirit. The problem is here, the solution will also be found here in Delhi,” she added, while stating that both short-term and long-term measures were being implemented to control pollution.
Reacting to these remarks, Kejriwal said mocking Vipassana was inappropriate for someone holding the office of chief minister.
Despite “political enmity”, he said, such comments were not befitting of a constitutional authority. He also urged Gupta to experience Vipassana herself, saying the practice brings immense peace.
“Going for Vipassana is not ‘running away’. Only those who are very fortunate get the blessing to practise Vipassana,” Kejriwal said, seeking to underline the spiritual significance of the meditation technique.
“You too should certainly try Vipassana once,” Kejriwal mentioned in his X post.
आपका मुझसे राजनैतिक वैर है। इसके चलते आपका इस तरह से भगवान बुद्ध द्वारा सिखायी गई दिव्य विपश्यना साधना विधि का मज़ाक़ उड़ाना आपको शोभा नहीं देता।आप भी एक बार ज़रूर विपश्यना कीजिए। आपको बहुत अच्छा लगेगा, असीम शांति अनुभव होगी।
विपश्यना करने जाने को “भाग जाना” नहीं कहते। बड़े… https://t.co/HuHSmmkBHb
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 14, 2025
The exchange comes amid a sharp political slugfest over the deteriorating air quality in the national capital.
On Sunday, the day of their exchange on X, the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded in the ‘severe’ category at 461, the highest of the season, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The 24-hour average AQI stood at 431 a day earlier.
AAP’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj backed Kejriwal, saying that while the Chief Minister might mock Kejriwal’s cough, the entire city was suffering due to pollution.
Citing health experts, Bharadwaj warned of the grave impact of the prevailing air quality on public health.
Expressing concern, Bharadwaj said that despite nearly a year of the BJP government being in office in Delhi, the pollution situation had reached an alarming level.
He pointed out that December was already halfway through and there was no stubble burning anywhere in the country, “not in Punjab, Haryana or elsewhere”, yet pollution levels were so high that haze and smog were visible even inside closed rooms.
He alleged that the most “unfortunate aspect” was the absence of confidence among Delhi residents about who would take responsibility for the crisis.
“The people of Delhi do not know whom to look towards with the hope that something will be done. Should they look towards a chief minister who cannot even pronounce AQI properly,” Bharadwaj said.
The AAP leader further alleged that Gupta equates AQI with temperature, believes it can be measured by any instrument and thinks sprinkling water is the only way to reduce pollution.
Calling for a course correction, Bharadwaj said experts should come forward and that Gupta should step back for some time.
The BJP, however, rejected the criticism. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that while pollution levels had worsened over the last two to three days, local factors were not responsible.
He attributed the spike to western disturbances prevailing across north India, which, he said, had led to a complete halt in air movement.
Kapoor said such weather conditions occur every year in December since 2009 and accused the Aam Aadmi Party, which was in power in Delhi for 10 years, and the Congress, which governed before that, of unfairly blaming the BJP for the current situation.
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Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. December 15, 2025, 10:37 IST
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