On Thursday, Saurabh Bharadwaj, the Delhi president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accused the Delhi Police of hiding CCTV footage of the attack on Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. He said the police were trying to cover up their mistakes, raising doubts about their honesty and accountability.
Bharadwaj pointed out that although the police filed a First Information Report (FIR) after the incident, their actions did not inspire trust. He recalled earlier attacks on AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and criticized the weak police response. According to him, the police often ignored filing “attempt to murder” charges in serious cases, leaving investigations incomplete and weak despite public outrage.
One of his main concerns was the missing CCTV footage from Gupta’s attack. Bharadwaj asked why the footage had not been released to the public when past incidents involving Kejriwal were openly shared. He said this secrecy raised serious doubts about the police’s intentions.
The attack happened during a public hearing at Gupta’s home. Police detained the attacker, identified as Rajesh Khimji, and placed him in custody. Bharadwaj said the quick arrest was necessary but not enough to prove police transparency.
His remarks came as AAP gained strength in Punjab after its sweeping victory in the 2022 assembly elections. Punjab has a history of strong political movements and protests for farmers’ rights, which continue to shape public opinion.
Bharadwaj stressed that public trust depends on transparency. People must see the police act openly and fairly in high-profile cases. Without this, he said, confidence in law enforcement will collapse. He urged the police to handle such matters with complete accountability to restore faith in their work.
