Hours after the Aam Aadmi Party accused Gautam Gambhir of distributing ‘derogatory’ pamphlets against its candidate from East Delhi Atishi, the former cricketer rubbished the charges and said he would resign from politics if Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal can prove that he did this.
The BJP candidate from East Delhi tweeted: “I declare that if its proven that I did it, I will withdraw my candidature right now. If not, will u quit politics?”
Gautam Gambhir also threatened to file a defamation case against the AAP. Gambhir said that he has never given a negative statement against anyone so far in his election campaigning. “You can’t tarnish someone’s image just like that. If you don’t have the proof,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Atishi held a press conference in which she claimed that Gambhir distributed pamphlets ‘containing obscene and derogatory’ remarks against her. The AAP leader said that she had welcomed Gambhir when he joined politics but she never imagined that he would stoop to such level in the Lok Sabha polls.
Atishi was accompanied by Deputy Delhi Chief Minister Manish Sisodia during the press conference. AAP alleged that the BJP was distributing pamphlets containing derogatory remarks on her and her family.
Moment after the press confeence, Gautam Gambhir put out a series of tweets in which he challenged Kejriwal to prove the charges or quit politics. “I abhor your act of outraging a woman’s modesty Arvind Kejriwal and that too your own colleague. And all this for winning elections? You are filth Mr CM and someone needs your very own broom to clean your dirty mind,” he said.
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
The Delhi Commission for Women has taken suo-motu cognizance and has ask the East Delhi DCP over reports of a pamphlet being circulated against the AAP candidate. The DCP will file a reply by May 11.