The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched a sharp critique against Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, accusing her of a significant historical misrepresentation. The controversy stems from a recent public statement made by CM Gupta regarding the iconic freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
A Controversial Historical Analogy
During a public address, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta made a remark that has ignited a political firestorm. She stated that Bhagat Singh threw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly in 1929 to awaken a "deaf Congress government." This characterization of the historical event has been met with immediate backlash from opposition parties and historians alike.
The AAP was quick to pounce on the statement, framing it as a blatant distortion of history for contemporary political point-scoring. Party spokespersons highlighted that Bhagat Singh's revolutionary act was targeted against the British colonial regime, not against any Indian political entity like the Indian National Congress, which was itself leading the freedom struggle against the same British rulers.
Political Remix or Historical Blunder?
In a biting retort, the AAP accused CM Gupta of putting "history in remix mode." The party's social media handles and official communications have emphasized that such remarks reveal either a profound ignorance of India's independence movement or a deliberate attempt to rewrite history to suit a current political narrative.
The core of AAP's argument rests on the factual timeline. In 1929, when Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt carried out the symbolic bombing in the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi, the Indian National Congress was not in power. The assembly was a British-controlled institution. The Congress, under leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, was a principal opposition force to the colonial government. Portraying Bhagat Singh's action as directed against the Congress is, according to critics, a severe factual inaccuracy.
Broader Implications and Reactions
This incident has swiftly moved beyond a simple verbal gaffe, morphing into a significant political controversy. The AAP has used the opportunity to question the intellectual rigor and historical understanding of the ruling party's leadership. They have demanded an apology from CM Rekha Gupta, stating that such comments disrespect the legacy of a national martyr whose sacrifice was for the nation's freedom from foreign rule, not in opposition to any domestic political party.
The controversy also taps into the ongoing, often heated, political debates in India about the interpretation of history and the appropriation of freedom fighters' legacies by modern political parties. The AAP's aggressive response signals its intent to position itself as a defender of historical truth against what it calls the ruling party's "propaganda."
As of now, there has been no official clarification or retraction from Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's office regarding the remark. The episode is likely to fuel further political sparring in the coming days, especially in the politically charged environment of Delhi. It underscores how historical narratives remain potent tools in contemporary Indian politics, with every statement scrutinized for its factual merit and partisan intent.
