Atishi Marlena, the Aam Aadmi Party's candidate from East Delhi, broke down during a press conference as she accused her opponent BJP's Gautam Gambhir of distributing a pamphlet containing extremely derogatory comments about her.
The AAP leader, at a media briefing at the party's headquarters, showed the pamphlet, which she claimed was circulated in the East Delhi constituency along with the morning newspaper. She alleged that it was the handiwork of Gambhir's team, and proceeded to read from it.
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However, as she read aloud the content, she broke down. In a choked voice, she continued to read from the pamphlet that was titled 'Atishi Marlena—Know your candidate'; it contained derogatory claims about her personal life, including about her parents and her husband. It claimed that she was in a relationship with Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
“When Gautam Gambhir came to contest, I welcomed him. When I met him at the time of the nomination, I told him that it was necessary good people should join politics. But, now, he has shown how low he and his party can stoop in this election,” she said.
Atishi also wondered how Gambhir, who she accused of attacking her character in an effort to win the election, could safeguard the interests of the women in the East Delhi constituency.
“The pamphlet is also a question for the entire country on what kind of politics is being practised, especially against a woman,” she said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “Never imagined Gautam Gambhir to stoop so low. How can women expect safety if people wid such mentality are voted in? Atishi, stay strong. I can imagine how difficult it must be for u. It is precisely this kind of forces we have to fight against.”
Sisodia, who was present at the press conference along with Atishi, said that the contents of the pamphlet were so abusive that he felt ashamed even reading it.
Gambhir, however, denied the allegations that he got the pamphlet distributed. He countered the AAP's charges and attacked Kejriwal for making such an accusation, which according to him amounted to outraging a woman's modesty. “I abhor your act of outraging a woman's modesty @ArvindKejriwal and that too your own colleague. And all this for winning elections? U r filth Mr CM and someone needs ur very own Jhadu to clean ur dirty mind.”
He also tweeted that if the accusations are proved right, he will withdraw his candidature, and asked Kejriwal if he would quit politics if he was proved wrong. “I feel ashamed to have a CM like @ArvindKejriwal,” he said.