Delhi CM Faces Backlash Over 'AIQ' Slip-Up, Bhagat Singh Gaffe: 'They Can't Handle a Woman Leader'

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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has hit back at her critics, accusing them of disrespecting her and making 'cheap comments' over her recent slip-ups, including misspelling 'AQI' (air quality index) as 'AIQ' and confusing Bhagat Singh's fight against the British with an attack on the Congress government. In a speech to the Delhi Assembly, Gupta said she was being targeted because she's a woman working 24/7, and that her critics can't handle the fact that she's a strong leader. Gupta also drew a comparison between her 11-month-old government and the 11 years of 'mismanagement and corruption' under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. She highlighted several achievements, including the rollout of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, digitisation in hospitals, and initiatives to curb arbitrary practices in private schools. However, AAP leaders took issue with Gupta's Bhagat Singh gaffe, with MLA Sanjay Jha calling it an 'updated version of history' and AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bhardwaj saying it had 'embarrassed India'. The controversy comes as Gupta's government faces criticism for its handling of essential services in Delhi, with Gupta alleging that the previous AAP government had left a legacy of massive cost overruns in hospital projects, irregular electricity connections, and irrational water bills. Gupta's speech was a response to the 'Motion of Thanks' to the Address given by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena during the Winter Session of the Delhi Assembly. She posted a video of her speech on social media, saying she had been 'working non-stop for Delhi, day in, day out', and that this was what was getting to her critics.