Delhi CM Rekha Gupta on Kejriwal, AQI, one year of BJP govt and more at Rising Bharat Summit | Full Q&A

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta strongly defended her government’s one-year record, asserting that development and systemic reform — not “dangerous freebies” — remain her top priorities. Speaking at the Rising Bharat Summit, Gupta took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal who recently got acquited in the excise policy case, reiterated her promise of Rs 2,500 monthly financial aid for eligible women and outlined her roadmap for tackling pollution and cleaning the Yamuna. She also dismissed Congress allegations of political collusion, taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi and asserting that Delhi’s “triple-engine government” is accelerating infrastructure, transparency and environmental reforms. Here's the full transcript of the interview:

Rubika Liyaquat:

I once again welcome you all from the stage of Rising Bharat. And right now, Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is present on the stage. I am talking about the only female Chief Minister of BJP in all the states where the BJP government is present. 27 years later, when the Bharatiya Janta Party waved the flag of victory in Delhi, the capital of the country, then Rekha Gupta, when that name was heard, they said, from where? How? And today, Rekha Gupta, is here on the stage of Rising Bharat. Please welcome her with a big round of applause. 

Rekha Ji, there are a lot of questions, because if there is no talk of rising capital in Rising Bharat, then how will it work? But before that, the biggest issue is that after Arvind Kejriwal is discharged, the first question that comes to mind is that Rekha Gupta and her party came to power in Delhi because they said that he is corrupt. But the court said that no, there is no such proof.

Rekha Gupta:

Rubika Ji, I want to ask you, does anyone in this world believe in what someone says? As long as the public does not have that feeling in their hearts, that yes, whoever they chose, it was their mistake, those people who held the tricolour in their hands in the Ramlila Maidan, chanting the slogans of Vande Mataram and came to power saying that we do not want a chair, nor do we want a car, nor do we want a bungalow, swore an oath of honesty, swore an oath of children, and after that they did all that they swore not to do. They wanted a car, they wanted a bungalow, they wanted power, chair, they wanted everything. Then, there isn’t a just a single scam. Dozens of scams occurred in the time of their government’s rule.

And today, the case they are saying that they have been acquitted from, I want to ask you, the people of Delhi, this question, and from Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party, that if they were not dishonest, if they were not corrupt, then why was the alcohol policy taken back as soon as the investigation began? On behalf of the public, I wanted to ask that did they not try to drown Delhi in the alcohol culture? When they talked about one-on-one free, when they talked about opening a pink bar for women, when they talked about reducing the age of youth to drink alcohol, then did they not cheat Delhi?

I want to ask you about the 170 mobiles from which you removed the data, manipulated the data and broke it there, wasn't that dishonesty? What means of corruption was that? And today, there is not just a single case, but thousands of cases against them — scams in hospitals, scams in buying medicines, scams in making school classes, and scams in the Mohalla Clinic.

Rubika Liyaquat:

But the court has also said that the evidence is not enough. 

Rekha Gupta:

See, this is not the ultimate truth. This is the decision of the lower court. There are still many steps left and the public believes in the judicial process of our country, and justice will definitely be done. The truth will emerge.

Rubika Liyaquat:

That means you are so confident that there has definitely been corruption? 

Rekha Gupta:

We have seen it with our own eyes. Even today, when all their accounts open in the government, then they see a new corruption every day, every single day. I am telling you the truth that today -- how many things should I tell you? They came with a scheme to give scholarships to children, and for that they sanctioned 15 crores. And today, coaching institutions are standing at the door of the government to receive a payment of 150 crores. Can anyone tell me how did it go from 15 crores to 150 crores?

They made a scheme to give remuneration to senior citizens. They gave a payment for 2-3 years and then closed it. So after coming to the government, we said that this payment should be continued, show us what the scheme is. Then we came to know that there is no scheme in the record, there is no sanction, there is no note from the cabinet. And from where were they giving, to whom were they giving, what were they doing? Hundreds of instances of dishonesty is seen in the accounts of the Delhi government every day.

Rubika Liyaquat:

But you are seeing it, the court is not seeing it. The court is saying that there isn’t enough evidence... 

Rekha Gupta:

Look, our judicial process is very long. There are hearings at different levels here. What the lower court said today is not the ultimate truth. The fight for this justice is definitely long but the public has done justice and the judiciary will also do justice, we believe. 

Rubika Liyaquat:

The big question is that Congress is saying that you two are working together. You must have read the posts. So as soon as he was acquitted, they said that since there is an election in Punjab, that's why you got Kejriwal released, acquitted.

Rekha Gupta:

Look, when Congress says this, that party, which the public pushed even lower than NOTA, when they say such things, it is very funny, that they can say anything. This is the same Mr. Kejriwal, who after taking the oath of children, said that I will not form an alliance with Congress, so this their alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party. Now the brothers have fought -- birds of a feather flock together.

Now they are fighting, so they are accusing each other.

Rubika Liyaquat:

But they are saying that – you said, they were pushed below NOTA, and you’ll and Kejriwal are colluding to push them below NOTA. And this is a big post made by Mr. Pawan Khera.

Rekha Gupta:

Look, they themselves are directionless people, they are a directionless party. What they say, when they say, no one has understood till date.

Rubika Liyaquat:

Okay, Rekha Ji, the year has come to an end. What work have you done, and what are you boasting about?

Rekha Gupta:

Look, one year, that is 365 days, isn’t such a large time span that I can say that that I have many accomplishments – you’re saying, I’m boasting. But I feel satisfied with one thing, that with all the intensity, with all the hard work, in these 365 days, the Delhi government, their Chief Minister, the whole team worked for the people of Delhi, worked by being in the midst of the people, and fought every problem face-to-face, and tried to give them a better solution. This is my only accomplishment.

Rubika Liyaquat:

When you say this, then some tough questions of the opposition come to mind. For example, the Aam Aadmi Party is saying, that whatever work we did, you people ruined it, that is, the BJP government. They said, you made false promises, you did not fulfil them. Whatever they gave to Delhi, now you are slowly taking it back from Delhi. In the matter of pollution, you made very big promises. Even today, you see, that pollution is still the same. It is also the case that when important guests come to Delhi, they say, everything can be solved, but Delhi cannot get rid of the problem of traffic. There are many such things. So has rising Delhi reached that level in rising India?

Rekha Gupta:

Rubika Ji, I want to ask, if a 11-year-old government asks this question to a 1-year-old government, is it appropriate? But still, I want to give them an answer. Still, I want to give an answer to the people of that 11-year-old government who could not do anything within their tenure and today, after completing 365 days, they say, that the traffic should be less, pollution should be less, waterlogging should be stopped, they will ask for an answer for waterlogging. Every single problem, which was created by Delhi's legacy problem, their carelessness, their negligence which increased Delhi's problem, we have worked for their solution. Along with the scientific road map, we have taken a step forward every day. 

All the problems you have talked about -- you said, we ruined what they had done. We must have definitely ruined their corruption, we ruined all the leakages in the system for their corruption. All those roads through which corruption used to happen, by shutting down the entire system, we have digitalized this very transparent system, to the entire government, to every department, to all the files. In today's date, every file in the Delhi government goes through the medium of E-file. Today, every work has been digitalized, from hospitals to the school administration. Today, accountability is fixed. So, nothing can happen, through which the public's money goes into any corruption, that’s the first thing. Then, you talked about different problems. You said, traffic jam… 

Rubika Liyaquat:

Will Delhi ever be pollution-free?

Rekha Gupta:

Definitely, it will be. Every year Delhi will see better air, better environment. This is the complete promise of our government to the people of Delhi. And in this one year, whatever we have done for pollution, I would also like to say that. We have not worked on pollution considering it as just one season, or one segment. Pollution as a whole, from the perspective of environment, what should be better in it, we have worked on every aspect, on every segment, whether it is dust or smoke. As far as smoke is concerned, the vehicular emission, the government has taken very serious steps on it. In Delhi, we have implemented no PUC, no fuel. In Delhi, we have brought the largest fleet of electric buses, which is bigger than every state in the country, bigger than major states. Today, we have 4,000 electric buses in Delhi and our mission is to give 100% clean fuel vehicle to Delhi, change the mode of transportation in Delhi. 

We are even bringing EV policies for people's private vehicles, in which we will motivate people, we will also give subsidies -- people should go on public transport as much as possible, they should buy EV vehicles as much as possible. The government is continuously working on the last mile connectivity, because a person will not be able to adopt public transport until he gets the last mile connectivity. In the whole of Delhi, one more big work, which is related to this smoke, is your fitness center, testing stations, on which the last government did not work at all. Today, our government is working to open automated testing stations in Delhi, so that every vehicle in Delhi gets its fitness checked, not manually, but automatically. And every vehicle should be emission-free, fit to move, and for that, for the first time, such moves have been made by the Delhi government.  We have already set up two automated testing stations whose foundations has been laid, they will be completed by June. And we are preparing for a new five. 

And apart from this, in the whole of Delhi, from tree planting to cleaning by machines, to the arrangement of new litter pickers, all these things should be done in a very planned way that till when what work should be completed, how should the pollution be reduced -- for the first time, in Delhi, in the Ridge area, we have notified the 4200 hectare Ridge area as a forest, which has not been done by any government till date. We have planned to plant 3.5 million new trees within four years, and that too, such trees, which are indigenous plants, which are really oxygen-givers, which increase the green cover of the city, we have worked for that.

Rubika Liyaquat:

But when you are saying all this, if I close my eyes, I feel as if I have come to a beautiful hill station. But the truth is that when you go to Delhi, Rishi Sunak has to say that there are some problems here which can never end. For example, traffic.

Rekha Gupta:

They can end, they can end when the government and the public move in the same direction. Things will only improve through public partnership. The government will do its work, the public will contribute to it, the government will bring public transportation, the public will use it, the government will run this drive, the people will maintain the trees, the government will maintain the road -- the wall-to-wall carpeting, the people will maintain it, we all have to do all these things together because Delhi is ours and it is the responsibility of all of us. 

Rubika Liyaquat:

But do you think that there will be so much partnership from Delhi? 

Rekha Gupta:

Why not? Today, a city like Indore can come together and work collectively -- when people talk about foreign countries, those foreign countries have not developed in a single day. When people have a supportive attitude, then a city can be better, developed, and green. So when the public thinks that the biggest problem of Delhi is hygiene, there should be cleanliness, the environment should be better, the traffic rules should be obeyed, then it is the responsibility of all of us to work together so that there is no pollution because of us, because of us the environment does not suffer, that we use public transport, that we work better for our city.

Rubika Liyaquat:

It is very nice to hear this. I wish all of us started doing this, but is it possible? I am asking you again and again. In a house, if a boy or a family has 2-3 cars, carpooling is definitely talked about but it is not done. You say you want people to use public transport, but what percentage is being used in Delhi?

Rekha Gupta:

Right now, it is less, but the pain and discomfort that the people of Delhi are facing because of this environment, I think the people of Delhi want a solution like this. The government will give them a solution, in every sector. Giving you subsidy for EV, creating a new infrastructure, make charging stations, planning for dust mitigation from your roads, do wall-to-wall carpeting…

Rubika Liyaquat:

How much time will it take? It will be done in 5 years?

Rekha Gupta:

You cannot time-bound this, it is an ongoing process, it’s an continuous process. It is not that today I used public transport and tomorrow I went by personal car, then this is not possible. It is an ongoing process, the government and the people will work hand-in-hand…

Rubika Liyaquat:

I will move on from environmental topic after this question. What kind of AQI can we expect this October? Can Rekha Gupta guarantee it?”

Rekha Gupta:

Better, Delhi will have a better AQI, better air, and all of us will work together on this.

Rubika Liyaquat:

In a recent interview, you said that the Aam Aadmi Party took a loan, you spent some time to repay that loan. A few days ago, the Supreme Court spoke about freebies – the way that governments give freebies, like take this, take that for free, such offers increase the loan. You have also started a lot of schemes. Now should I call them freebies or because you will like it, should I call them schemes for the public, public welfare schemes?

Rekha Gupta:

I myself believe that for a city to move forward, freebies are the most dangerous thing, and for the city to move forward, everyone's cooperation is necessary. But it It is important that the person standing at the very end of the line, who is truly in need, receives help so that he can move into the main line, survive, and feed his family. So there is a big difference in both.

The thought that I have, I think that where you have to give support to those families, you have to do hand-holding, you cannot leave the path of development. In this one year, all the projects that were incomplete by the government, we worked to complete them. And the Delhi government worked on hundreds of new projects, be it flyovers, be it underpass, be it foot over bridge, be it elevated road, be it metro's next phase, the government has worked on all of these for a better Delhi, for a new future, for a better infrastructure.

Rubika Liyaquat:

But when you say this better thing and say that no, the person standing last in the line should also get those facilities, then it comes to the promise you made of Rs 2500. So when are you giving that?

Rekha Gupta:

See, before Rs 2500, I would like to discuss a lot of things that I have given. Today, Delhi, the capital of the country, where thousands of people come daily for work, for employment, some come for treatment, some come for education – yes, in Delhi, we started the Atal canteen, in which a person gets a full meal for just Rs. 5, with the vision that no one should sleep hungry in my city. The Delhi government has worked on this. 

Rubika Liyaquat:

But Rekha Ji, Sheila Dikshit also did that. 

Rekha Gupta:

Where did she do it? Where is the canteen or kitchen that she started in her time? Is there anything like that in Delhi? 

Rubika Liyaquat:

Yes, she used to give a thali

Rekha Gupta:

I don’t know, you tell me, was there a thali? Did it work? Did it reach anyone? So what is going on today is an everlasting work, which the people of Delhi -- feeding 1 lakh people every day is the resolution of the Delhi government on which we are working. 

Rubika Liyaquat:

So Rekha Ji, since you are getting people to eat, you are not giving Rs 2,500? 

Rekha Gupta:

I am coming to what you are saying. We had said that we’ll give cylinder on Holi and Diwali. We are going to give cylinders to our sisters in Delhi, this Holi. This was a big thing. And in the same way, we had spoken about the Ayushman Yojana in Delhi… 

Rubika Liyaquat:

No, wait, Rekha Ji. Since you are giving a thali, then you will not give Rs 2,500?

Rekha Gupta:

I am coming to that.

Rubika Liyaquat:

If you are giving a cylinder, then you will not give Rs 2,500?

Rekha Gupta:

Why are you behaving as if a worker of the Aam Aadmi Party is speaking from within you? Hold on. Now listen. I am coming to that. 

Rubika Liyaquat:

I am only asking questions on behalf of the public. I am a worker for the common man, not of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Rekha Gupta:

I want to say this…

Rubika Liyaquat:

I will say this clearly, I am a worker for the common man. 

Rekha Gupta:

I want to say this that, understanding the needs of the people of Delhi, I have decided a priority list in which I feel that the people of Delhi need water pipelines first. Every house needs water, better sewer lines, every child that faces a lack of schools, I want to fulfil that, complete the incomplete hospitals. The previous government left a lot of liabilities in the metro phase project. I have decided to clear all those liabilities. Out of that, I have given Rs 3,000 crores for previous account. And Rs 5,000 crores I have paid for the next corridor. My people of Delhi say that first give all this to us and after that, if madam wants to give Rs 2,500, then she will definitely give. And I promise that my sisters of Delhi will get Rs 2,500. 

Rubika Liyaquat:

Think about it — even if they haven’t got Rs 2,500, long live Rekha Gupta.

Rekha Gupta:

Because they are getting development. Along with development, whatever we have said is being given. That's why the people of Delhi have faith in us. And it is my duty to maintain that faith.

Rubika Liyaquat:

But on a serious note, in the coming years, will you fulfil this promise? 

Rekha Gupta:

Definitely.

Rubika Liyaquat:

Or has it become a burden for you? 

Rekha Gupta:

No.

Rubika Liyaquat:

Because there was talk of giving cash, of giving freebies. You have announced it but now it is becoming a burden.

Rekha Gupta:

No, I can't say that. Definitely, it is my wish to strengthen the sisters of Delhi and give them financial assistance. And I will definitely fulfil it. And for this, work is going on continuously because that eligibility list -- because the group that we want to help today in Delhi, a list of them has to be prepared. And this is not a one-time scheme. This scheme is going to be continued, we have to give work every month, we have to give them financial assistance every month. So for that, a very good method through which once the help starts, then it should continue. It is necessary. We will do all this online through a portal so that there is no leakage and that no deserving sisters are left out, this is my wish.

Rubika Liyaquat:

Now I am coming to Yamuna's cleanliness because there have been many questions about Rs 2500 and you have answered them here. Some people can agree with this, some may not. But is this really an announcement to give money from different governments --- this is the last question and then I’ll reach ahead. This has become a winning formula. And after that, if there is a delay in its implementation, then let it continue.

Rekha Gupta:

See, the public is very smart. They know that the path of development is going to take form through which party. And every state needs development, education, and health. No state can make governments on the basis of only freebies nor does it want to. Therefore, your performance is very important. And the development work that is going on in Delhi right now and all the problems of Delhi that are now being solved by the triple-engine government,  I feel that the public of Delhi is satisfied. The hopes that I see in their eyes say that you keep working, we are with you.

Rubika Liyaquat:

This triple-engine government creates a lot of pressure for you, Rekha because with earlier governments, it used to happen that if work is not done, then you can blame the Centre. Or if there is no small work, then you can accuse the local bodies. But this is not the case with you. Your government is in the left, your government is in the right, and you are sitting in the Centre. So is this triple-engine government putting pressure on your shoulders or not?

Rekha Gupta:

I believe that the presence of a government at all three levels in Delhi is the most fortunate and luckiest time. Because right now no one has the opportunity to make any kind of accusations, allegation, this is the first thing. And secondly, there is no fight for credit. Today, when I work, I equally take the help of the central government, NCR states, I put all the pressure on my local bodies and get them to work. So from anywhere, anyone who goes in the middle of the public, then he takes responsibility for the work, to do that work, the MPs, the MLAs, the Municipal Councilorss, all three work together and that is why Delhi's work is gaining speed. So I don't consider it liability, I don't consider it pressure, I consider it a very good opportunity for Delhi that as much effort as possible should be done at this time so that Delhi moves towards development.

Rubika Liyaquat:

When will Yamuna move towards cleanliness?

Rekha Gupta:

It has moved. Yamuna Ji has moved towards cleanliness because before this, the governments had never understood the importance of that topic, nor had they worked on it. But our government, which was formed a year ago, after our arrival, very scientifically, worked on what should be the road map of Yamuna cleanliness. All the drains that were falling in Yamuna Ji, the drone mapping was done, the silt mapping was done, all the STPs that were in Delhi till now, 37 STPs, sewage treatment plants were in Delhi, we revived them, upgraded them so that they come in working condition which were completely tired earlier. No work was being done, the STPs have been updated today. And the drains that had no STPs, today we have put a tender to make new decentralized STPs on them. In Delhi, we are working on 35 new decentralized STPs, 12 new big STPs.

Rubika Liyaquat:

So 35 plus 12.

Rekha Gupta:

Yes, of course. And apart from this, we have talked to NCR state, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, that till the time any drain falls in Yamuna Ji, till then Yamuna Ji cannot be clean. That is why it is important that every drain should be tapped, every drain should be desilted. And in this one year, I would like to tell you that we have removed 22,000 metric tons of silt from the drains which otherwise would have fallen in Yamuna Ji. And one more thing I would like to tell you, the amount of animal wealth in Delhi, these cows, etc., what do you think, it must be in lakhs? So how much dairy waste would be there daily?

We are assuming 1500 tons of dairy waste would be this much daily, that cow dung, and it would directly fall in Yamuna Ji through the drains, daily, which was a major reason for the pollution of Yamuna. There was not a single biogas plant in Delhi. The first biogas plant was opened by our government in Delhi. We have opened two plants so far. It has a capacity of 300 TPD. We have to bring it to 1500 TPD. For this, the government is working so that this cow dung does not go into Yamuna Ji via any route, the silt does not reach Yamuna Ji, the drains do not fall in Yamuna Ji in their dirty form, all this work has begun. Every year, you will see better Yamuna. And if God wills, the people of Delhi will be able to see a very clean Yamuna, flowing Yamuna. 

Rubika Liyaquat:

Will it be visible as long as you are the Chief Minister? 

Rekha Gupta:

You keep me as the Chief Minister.

Rubika Liyaquat:

Because Sabarmati Front comes to mind. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi used to be the Chief Minister, he changed the whole map. I am sure when you meet and talk, there must be a discussion on this too. He has also praised you, your government, on the cleanliness of Yamuna. But do you have any – you told us the road map, is there a time that within so many years…

Rekha Gupta:

I have told you the road map of Yamuna's cleanliness. And Yamuna... 

Rubika Liyaquat:

Time.

Rekha Gupta:

There is seriousness at the Centre, in Delhi, with everyone, at the Municipality. Work is being done on it continuously. And the timeline you are talking about cannot be tied to Yamuna Ji. If the STP construction has started today, it takes two years to complete, it comes in working condition after two and-a-half years. And the work of tapping every drain that has started, it will definitely take time.

Rubika Liyaquat:

So after two-and-a-half years, I can take your interview on the cruise on the Yamuna? 

Rekha Gupta:

You can take the cruise earlier. By the way, it is not a cruise, it is Yamuna Safari. You can take it earlier. We will run it earlier. But if I talk about the flowing form of Yamuna, it will definitely take time. But the government's intentions and policies are absolutely clear. Work will start being shown and you all will be satisfied that we are moving in the right direction.

Rubika Liyaquat:

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has come in our midst. Please welcome him with a big round of applause. Two last questions and then I will end our program. You have seen the kind of action that has taken place at the Turkman Gate of Delhi and the big action that has taken place against encroachment, After that, the question arose from all directions whether this kind of action is being taken deliberately because BJP and minorities have never been able to develop love? You have been accused of this. Will this continue?

Rekha Gupta:

This is a very bad allegation. If a makeshift hut or shack is sitting on a gutter and the court orders to remove the shack, then yes, the government broke the shack. If a temple is completely on the side of the road and people have difficulty in coming and going and someone has put up a petition and the court has given the order, then the government removed the temple and you can say that the mosque was removed. The mosque was not removed, but the encroachment was removed. These are some decisions in which the court orders are made and encroachment is such a topic that gives problems to every resident of Delhi. So anything that happens in it, that is painful for the people of Delhi, I feel that the administrative decision that comes from the court should be accepted and it is in the interest of Delhi. This is not a decision of any kind of discrimination or any person or specific individual or religion. This is a decision in the direction of running Delhi better.

Rubika Liyaquat:

One last question. The AI summit was held here, where you are sitting and IYC workers from Congress came here and gave a shirtless demonstration. When the Prime Minister came on the stage of Rising Bharat, he said that Congress may tear their clothes, India will decide the way forward.

This question that I am asking you is about apex leadership. In the last interview, you told me that how a party works is decided by apex leadership. But on the issue of Rahul Gandhi, it is being said that perhaps he did not know that these boys would come here and create a ruckus.

But even today, he is standing with his lions.

Rekha Gupta:

You answered your question. A person who does such a disgusting and shameless thing and you call him a lion, does this not show his intentions? I want to ask you what is the use of such directionless leadership that wants to ruin the dignity of the country, that wants to defame the constitutional facilities and constitutional institutions, that speaks ill of the country when they go abroad and even when they are inside the country, they raise their fingers on our army, what should be said to such people will be decided by the people of India.

Rubika Liyaquat:

But who is the heavy opponent, Kejriwal or Rahul Gandhi? 

Rekha Gupta:

If I say something, you will say that I am saying it. Both are each other's brothers, cousin brothers.

Rubika Liyaquat:

Only cousin brothers?

Rekha Gupta:

Now please complete the next sentence. 

Rubika Liyaquat:

No, I won't. Thank you very much for joining us, Rekha Ji. Rekha Gupta answered all the questions candidly. Thank you so much, Rekha Ji.