Drawing a parallel with the fictional ‘Phulera Panchayat’ from the Amazon Prime series Panchayat, AAP Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s husband has been attending official meetings, inspecting government projects, and issuing directions to officers.
Stating that the Delhi governance is in “crisis”, Bharadwaj, while addressing a press conference here on Monday, said that it started as a joke that Delhi has been turned into a ‘Phulera Panchayat.
Seeking clarification from the BJP, Bharadwaj questioned whether CM Rekha Gupta is not capable of doing her work herself. “Under which law can her husband give instructions to government officers on her behalf?” he questioned, adding that the matter will be raised with PM Narendra Modi, who often speaks of integrity in politics.
“India is the world’s largest democracy, and its capital, Delhi, is a cosmopolitan city under the watch of international media. In such a state, a woman has been made Chief Minister, and her husband is seen sitting with her in official meetings with officers.”
AAP leader Bharadwaj drew parallels to practices in local governance, alleging that Delhi is witnessing a similar pattern at the highest level. “We have seen this in panchayats and local bodies where seats are reserved for women. Often, women were nominated as candidates but lacked administrative experience, leading their husbands to take over the functioning. Officers began recognising that while the wife signed documents, the husband made the actual decisions,” he said. Bharadwaj questioned how such a situation could occur in the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office, claiming that CM Rekha Gupta’s businessman husband has been attending official meetings and effectively operating from behind the scenes.