The politics in the country hit a new low after pamphlets containing, derogatory and scurrilous remarks on Aam Aadmi Party’s East Delhi candidate Atishi Marlena were distributed through newspaper vendors across the residential blocks of the city.
On May 9, the party in a press conference displayed the pamphlet and blamed the former cricketer and BJP candidate from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir and the saffron party for stooping low to sway the votes. Atishi in the press conference read out the pamphlet titled – ‘Know your candidate’ in which she was labelled as “beefeater”, “mixed breed”, and “prostitute”. Her family failed to escape from the grasp of dirty politics. While reading out the pamphlet, she broke down twice, but fought back and accused Gautam Gambhir of tarnishing a woman’s modesty.
During the press conference, she asked – “If he (Gautam Gambhir) is doing this against one woman, what about the lakhs of women in east Delhi who are worried about their duty.”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reiterated the same question through his tweet – How can women expect safety if people with such mentality are voted in? Atishi, stay strong. I can imagine how difficult it must be for you. It is precisely this kind of forces we have to fight against.”
Deputy CM, Manish Sisodia, pulling the golden days of Gambhir’s cricketing career, said that he used to clap when Gambhir used to hit sixes and fours, but he never thought the same man would stoop so low to win an election.
AAP East Delhi LS seat candidate Atishi breaks down during a press conference alleging BJP’s Gautam Gambhir of distributing pamphlets with derogatory remarks against her says,"They’ve shown how low they can stoop.Pamphlet states that ‘she is very good example of a mixed breed’." pic.twitter.com/z14MXXh574
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2019
BJP refutes allegation
Gautam Gambhir, in a series of tweets, condemned Arvind Kejriwal and threw an open challenge to Kejriwal and Atishi Marlena that he would withdraw his candidature, if it is proved he had a part to play in the pamphlet. Hitting back at Kejriwal, he accused AAP of outraging a woman’s modesty to win the elections.
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 झाड़ू to clean ur dirty mind.
— Chowkidar Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) May 9, 2019
My Challenge no.2 @ArvindKejriwal @AtishiAAP
I declare that if its proven that I did it, I will withdraw my candidature right now. If not, will u quit politics?— Chowkidar Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) May 9, 2019
Gambhir also sent a defamation notice to Atishi Marlena, Arvind Kejriwal, and Manish Sisodia. In the notice, Gambhir demanded Kejriwal, Sisodia, and Marlena to withdraw the allegations against him and tender an unconditional apology. The notice mentions that the allegations were made in the view of elections.
The BJP’s Mamta Kale rebuffed the allegation and said that these are baseless charges levelled against Gautam Gambhir. She further mentioned that AAP has a history of politicising matter.
The Logical Indian Take
It is outrageous that a woman’s modesty has become collateral damage in this election. The pamphlet was designed to target Atishi drawing on her gender, rather than her work. Atishi rose to become a political contestant through her educational reforms. Her work was attributed to being that of Manish Sisodias’, implying that women are not capable of the intellectual task. The pamphlet is an example of how women politicians locking horns with men face sexism. The Logical Indian denounces such attempts to disparage women politician and demands probe into the matter.
Also Read: AAP – The Instances When ‘Party of The Common Man’ Abandoned Its Own Causes
