Delhi Chief Minister Atishi broke down during a press conference on Monday, stating that BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri had insulted her 80-year-old father. Atishi said, “BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri is abusing my 80-year-old father. Is this how dirty politics will be played for elections? I never thought that the politics of this country could sink so low.”
Atishi further explained, “I want to tell Ramesh Bidhuri that my father spent his whole life as a teacher. He taught thousands of poor children. Now, at the age of 80, he is in such a serious condition that he can’t even walk without support. Ramesh Bidhuri has stooped so low that he’s using abuse against an elderly person to seek votes.”
Bidhuri is the BJP candidate from the Kalkaji constituency, running against Atishi. On Sunday, Bidhuri found himself at the center of controversy after making two offensive remarks. First, he said that he would make Delhi’s roads like Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks, to which he later apologized. However, shortly afterward, at another event, he made another derogatory statement, claiming that Delhi’s CM Atishi had “changed her father,” and had become “Marlena Singh.”
Kejriwal Condemns BJP Leaders’ Shamelessness
AAP leader and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal criticized the BJP for crossing all limits of shamelessness. On X (formerly Twitter), Kejriwal wrote, “BJP leaders have crossed all limits of shamelessness. BJP leaders are abusing Delhi CM Atishi in the most vulgar manner. The people of Delhi will not tolerate this disrespect to a woman CM.”
Bidhuri’s Earlier Comment on Priyanka Gandhi Sparks Further Outrage
Earlier on Sunday, Bidhuri had also made a controversial comment about Priyanka Gandhi. He said, “Lalu promised to make the roads in Bihar as beautiful as Hema Malini’s cheeks, but he couldn’t do it. I assure you, in Kalkaji, I will make all the roads as beautiful as Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks.”
Congress leader Pawan Khera objected to Bidhuri’s comment on Priyanka, writing on social media, “This kind of bad behavior not only reflects the mentality of this despicable man but also the reality of his masters. From top to bottom, the RSS’s values can be seen in these petty BJP leaders.”
Bidhuri Refuses to Apologize, Calls for Lalu to Apologize to Hema Malini
In response to Congress’ objections, Bidhuri defended himself, stating, “I didn’t make any controversial remarks. If Congress has an issue with my statement, they should first tell Lalu Yadav to apologize to Hema Malini, as he had made a similar statement.”
However, after the controversy escalated, Bidhuri clarified that his remarks were in reference to something Lalu Yadav had previously said. He added, “Congress remained silent when Lalu Yadav, who was a minister in their government, made similar remarks. If my words hurt anyone, I take them back.”
Bidhuri to Contest Against Atishi in Kalkaji
In the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, BJP has fielded Ramesh Bidhuri against CM Atishi in Kalkaji. The first list of BJP candidates for the election was released on Saturday, with 29 names, including 7 who recently joined BJP from AAP and Congress.
Arvind Kejriwal’s opponent in New Delhi will be Pravesh Verma, while Kalkaji will see Atishi competing against Ramesh Bidhuri. Congress has fielded Alka Lamba from this constituency.
Bidhuri’s Reputation for Controversial Remarks
Ramesh Bidhuri has earned notoriety for making controversial statements. On September 21, 2023, during a special session of Parliament, Bidhuri made an obscene comment about BSP MP Danish Ali. Danish Ali wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to lodge a complaint about the remark.
While BJP condemned Bidhuri’s comments and issued him a show-cause notice, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Danish of using derogatory language about PM Modi, to which Bidhuri retaliated by responding to Danish in similar language.
