CM Atishi breaks down after rival Bidhuri’s latest shocker

A fight over BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri's derogatory remarks about Delhi CM Atishi escalates, prompting emotional responses and calls for respectful discourse.

An ugly fight erupted over former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s comments on Delhi chief minister Atishi, days before the assembly elections are to be announced, souring political discourse in a campaign already riven by a string of derogatory personal attacks. On Monday, Atishi broke down during a press conference as she responded to Bidhuri’s remarks and lamented at how the political discourse had “stooped so low” in the country.

Delhi CM Atishi at a press conference. (HT Photo)

At a rally in Rohini on Sunday, Bidhuri commented on the CM’s surname. “Marlena (Atishi) has changed her father. Earlier she was Marlena, now she has become Singh. This is their character,” he said.

This was a day after he had made another sexist remark at a rally against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, where he had said: “Lalu had said that he will develop roads in Bihar as smooth as Hema Malini’s cheeks. Lalu had lied. But I assure you just as we made the roads in Okhla and Sangam Vihar, we will make all the roads in Kalkaji, Sudhar camp, inner and outer roads like Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks.”

Bidhuri, a two-time Lok Sabha MP from South Delhi and three-time legislator, is the BJP’s candidate from Kalkaji, where Atishi is contesting on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket, while Congress has fielded Alka Lamba.

Addressing the media on Monday, an emotional Atishi spoke about her father.

“I want to tell Bidhuri ji that my father dedicated his entire life to teaching and shaping the futures of thousands of underprivileged children in Delhi. He is 80 years old now... He is so sick now that he can’t walk without support. For the sake of elections, you will stoop so low? You will abuse an elderly man? I couldn’t have imagined a day when politics in this country would degrade to this degree,” she said.

Challenging Bidhuri on his track record, she said, “He was MP from South Delhi for a decade. He should tell the people of Kalkaji what he did in those 10 years. If his work was better than my five years, he should seek votes based on that — not by abusing my elderly father.”

Both of Bidhuri’s remarks made a day apart at different campaign hot spots, earned him criticism from the CM, former CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, and Congress leaders Ajay Maken, Supriya Shrinate and Lamba.

Bidhuri, who has a history of making controversial remarks, had been sent a show-cause notice by the BJP in 2023, when he hurled alleged communal slurs at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali.

In 2015, five women MPs had lodged a complaint with the then-Lok Sabha speaker in which they accused Bidhuri of using abusive and sexist remarks against them in the house.

A day after the two remarks were made, the Delhi BJP leaders stressed that politicians should refrain from making “personal remarks” . On Monday, the party’s spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that politicians should refrain from making personal comments on the CM’s parents, but added that she condemn her father for supporting Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

“As an individual and elder we all respect Atishi Marlena’s father but since Marlena is the CM, the people of Delhi want her to once and for all come forward and condemn her father for supporting Afzal Guru or justify her parents act,” said Kapoor.

Virendra Sachdeva, Delhi president of the party, had said a day earlier, “I have not heard the entire statement of Ramesh Bidhuri but I think that all the women, who are in politics, face a lot of difficulties. So, we should not use such statements and keep control on our language. I would also tell Congress that when such remarks are made against our MP Hema Malini, you don’t stop it. Having said that, respect for women and control over our language is our duty and such statements are not welcomed by us.”