Delhi elections: Smriti Irani cites 2016 AAP volunteer suicide case to corner Kejriwal

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday took an aim at the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on women safety issues, accusing it of doing nothing to enhance their security. While campaigning for BJP, she appealed voters to elect BJP on February 8 Assembly elections for "women's respect".

Addressing a rally at Shastri Nagar in the Sadar Bazar constituency, Smriti Irani raked up the 2016 suicide of AAP volunteer Soni Mishra, allegedly after harassment from party colleagues. Aam Aadmi Party's Narela MLA Sharad Chauhan was accused of abetting the suicide. Irani accused Kejriwal of not helping Mishra even after her complaints.

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"I want to ask you whether you can expect the Aam Aadmi Party to respect the women of your families and provide security to them. I have come to request you that if you think women deserve the right of respect, go to the polling booths on February 8 and give a befitting reply to the Aam Aadmi Party...and for the respect of women, make the BJP win," Irani said.

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The Amethi MP went on to accuse the AAP government of not taking the Nirbhaya case seriously as the four death row convicts have not been executed to date. A Delhi court has fixed the hanging of all four convicts on February 1.

On Shaheen Bagh

Accusing the AAP of supporting the Shaheen Bagh protesters and the "tukde tukde" gang, she said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had recently said that he stood with the Shaheen Bagh protesters. "Kejriwalji, is this your politics? The residents of Sarita Vihar and other nearby areas of Shaheen Bagh have been facing a lot of problems due to the anti-CAA protests. School students, office-goers get stuck in traffic jams for over two hours, but he does not care about them," she said.

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Delhi Assembly Elections 2020

New Delhi will go to polls in a single-phase on February 8 and the counting of votes will take place on February 11. The last day of filing nominations for the candidates was on January 21. The BJP and Congress are yet to name their Chief Ministerial faces. For the BJP, names such as Manoj Tiwari, Hardeep Puri and Harsh Vardhan have been floated. Amit Shah, however, has stated in the absence of a formal name, the BJP would contest under PM Modi's leadership.

(With inputs from agencies)

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