Delhi BJP chief Harsh Malhotra leads protests outside 22 AAP MLAs' homes over Lakshmi Scheme boycott
Synopsis
Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra mobilised party workers across 22 constituencies in a single day, staging simultaneous protests outside AAP legislators' homes over their Assembly boycott of the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme — a women's welfare initiative. The scale and coordination of the action signals a sustained BJP offensive against AAP on a women's-welfare plank ahead of future Assembly proceedings.
Key Takeaways
Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra led simultaneous protests outside homes and offices of 22 AAP MLAs on 10 August .
The protests targeted AAP legislators who boycotted the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme for women in the Assembly.
The largest demonstration was held outside Leader of Opposition Atishi's residence in Kalkaji .
BJP deployed leaders from Mahila Morcha, OBC Morcha, Kisan Morcha, SC Morcha, and Yuva Morcha across constituencies.
AAP had not issued a formal public response to the protests as of the time of reporting.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Harsh Malhotra on Monday, 10 August led simultaneous demonstrations outside the homes and offices of 22 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators across the capital, targeting MLAs who boycotted the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme — a welfare initiative for women — in the Delhi Assembly. The coordinated protests, involving hundreds of BJP workers and party office-bearers, were held across multiple constituencies in a single day.
Key Developments
The most prominent demonstration took place outside the residence of Leader of Opposition and Kalkaji MLA Atishi, where Delhi BJP General Secretary Yogita Singh, Secretary Naresh Vashisht, and former MP Ramesh Bidhuri led the protest. BJP workers alleged it was 'unfortunate' that Atishi — herself a woman — allowed her party to oppose the scheme, particularly given that she had reportedly been absent from the Assembly for nearly a year and had reportedly spent around six months in Goa.
A protest was staged against Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan under OBC Morcha president Santosh Pal, while BJP workers gathered at the office of Kondli MLA Kuldeep under Mayur Vihar district president Vijender Dhama and State vice president Richa Pandey.
Protests Across Constituencies
Demonstrations were held against MLAs from Seelampur (Chaudhary Zubair Ahmed), Seemapuri (Veer Singh Dhingan), Babarpur (Gopal Rai), Karol Bagh (Vishesh Ravi), Deoli (Prem Chauhan), Tughlakabad (Sahi Ram Pehalwan), and Chandni Chowk (Punardeep Singh Sahni), among others. BJP Yuva Morcha president Rajat Chaudhary, Purvanchal Morcha president Santosh Ojha, and Minority Morcha president Anees Abbasi were among the leaders who helmed individual protests.
A women-led protest was held against Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha under senior BJP leader Satyanarayan Gautam. Protests against Badarpur MLA Ram Singh Netaji and Kirari MLA Anil Jha were also held, with former State vice president Vinay Rawat leading the latter. The protest against Ballimaran MLA Imran Hussain was led by Delhi BJP Minister Rohit Chahal.
What the BJP Said
According to a Delhi BJP statement, the party argued that AAP legislators — by boycotting the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme — had acted against the interests of women in their own constituencies. The BJP framed the protests as a grassroots accountability exercise, deploying a cross-section of its organisational machinery including Mahila Morcha, Kisan Morcha, and Scheduled Caste Morcha leaders.
Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha president Archana Gupta led the protest against Patel Nagar MLA Pravesh Ratna alongside former MLA Raj Kumar Anand. SC Morcha president Lajpat Rai participated in the protest against Delhi Cantonment MLA Virendra Kadian.
What Comes Next
The BJP has not announced whether further protest rounds are planned, but the scale of Monday's action — spanning 22 constituencies simultaneously — signals an intent to sustain pressure on AAP ahead of any Assembly proceedings related to the scheme. AAP has not issued a formal public response to the protests as of the time of reporting.
Point of View
OBC Morcha, SC Morcha, Yuva Morcha — across 22 constituencies simultaneously is less a spontaneous protest and more a structured political performance. By framing AAP's Assembly boycott as an act against women, the BJP is attempting to occupy the welfare-for-women narrative in Delhi, a space AAP has historically owned. The irony is that the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme itself remains contested in implementation; staging protests about its boycott before the scheme has demonstrably reached beneficiaries is a political bet. If AAP does not respond with clarity on why it boycotted the vote, the BJP's framing will go unchallenged in the constituency-level conversation.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Delhi BJP protest outside 22 AAP MLAs' homes?
Delhi BJP staged the protests on 10 August because 22 AAP MLAs boycotted the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme — a welfare initiative for women — during an Assembly session. The BJP argued the boycott was against the interests of women in those constituencies.
What is the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme?
The Delhi Lakshmi Scheme is a women's welfare initiative that was brought before the Delhi Assembly. AAP legislators boycotted it during the Assembly proceedings, prompting the BJP-led protests across 22 constituencies.
Who led the protest outside Atishi's residence?
The protest outside Kalkaji MLA and Leader of Opposition Atishi's residence was led by Delhi BJP General Secretary Yogita Singh, Secretary Naresh Vashisht, and former MP Ramesh Bidhuri. BJP workers alleged Atishi had been absent from the Assembly for nearly a year.
Which AAP MLAs were targeted in the protests?
The 22 AAP MLAs targeted included legislators from Kalkaji, Okhla, Kondli, Seelampur, Seemapuri, Babarpur, Karol Bagh, Deoli, Tughlakabad, Chandni Chowk, Gokulpur, Patel Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Sadar, Ballimaran, Matia Mahal, Sultanpuri, Delhi Cantonment, Burari, Badarpur, and Kirari.
Has AAP responded to the BJP protests?
As of the time of reporting, AAP had not issued a formal public response to the BJP's simultaneous protests held on 10 August across 22 Delhi constituencies.
