A fresh political showdown has erupted in Delhi over the BJP government’s decision to make Pink Cards mandatory for women seeking free travel in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly objected to the move, describing it as unnecessary, discriminatory and financially wasteful.
Addressing the issue, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the logic behind introducing a new card system when women were already travelling free without restrictions. He argued that the earlier mechanism worked smoothly and did not require additional documentation.
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‘What Was The Need For A Pink Card?’
जब हर महिला DTC बस में मुफ्त सफर कर रही थी तो PINK कार्ड की क्या ज़रूरत थी?
क्या UP, बिहार, हरियाणा की ग़रीब महिलाओं से सरकार की नफ़रत सामने आ गई ?
पिंक कार्ड बनाने के लिए सरकारी पैसा क्यों बर्बाद किया जा रहा है ? pic.twitter.com/ldpAPtM7il
— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) March 2, 2026
In a video message posted on X, Bharadwaj said, “Rekha Gupta is making a new mockery. She says that now women will be given a Pink Card instead of a Pink Ticket. Till now, any woman coming from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana or anywhere else and residing in Delhi would board a bus and be given a free Pink Ticket, enabling her to travel without any difficulty. But now this new arrangement is being imposed that women will have to get a Pink Card made.”
He further questioned why the government was introducing what he described as an avoidable administrative layer. According to him, there was no clarity on eligibility criteria or the process for obtaining the card.
Aadhaar Concerns And Allegations Of Discrimination
Bharadwaj raised concerns about documentation requirements, stating, “Why does the BJP Government want to incur this expense of making Pink Cards? The government has not clarified which woman will be able to get this card and which woman will not. To get the card made, they will demand a Delhi Aadhaar card. But lakhs of women from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Purvanchal who live in Delhi still have Aadhaar cards from their original states. Is the BJP Government directly hatching a conspiracy to dispossess these poor Purvanchali women of their right?”
He alleged that the decision reflects a discriminatory mindset toward women from other states residing in the capital.
Corruption Fears And Administrative Burden
The AAP leader also questioned the financial implications of the scheme. “No one is explaining how there could be corruption in a free ticket. In return for issuing a ticket, the bus conductor gets nothing because conductors are paid fixed salaries, and private buses are paid on a per-kilometre basis. The government does not pay anyone based on the number of tickets issued. In a system where there was no scope for corruption, the BJP has now created new avenues for corruption.”
He added, “When the system was running smoothly and free of cost, why does the BJP Government want to award a contract to a private company to make these cards and benefit it? Where will a poor woman go to submit her documents and why is this unnecessary complication being created? Now women will have to go from place to place to get a Pink Card and will be forced to take the help of middlemen. The condition of SDM and DM offices is such that even to get an income certificate made, people have to pay ₹5000. One can only imagine how much money middlemen will extract for making this Pink Card. After that, it will depend on the discretion of officials whose card will be made and whose will not.”
‘Rights Are Being Taken Away,’ Says AAP
Concluding his remarks, Bharadwaj said, “The BJP Government deliberately brings such conspiracies only to snatch away the rights of poor Purvanchalis. The BJP Government should be ashamed. This is being done merely to give new business and profit to a private company that will make these cards. It is being projected as a major achievement, whereas in reality it is a shameful act through which people’s rights are being directly taken away.”
The issue has now added a fresh dimension to the political debate in the national capital, with the Pink Card requirement becoming the latest flashpoint between AAP and the BJP.
