Delhi CM Atishi: Delhi’s eighth Chief Minister Atishi was formally inducted on Monday following the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal. On the day of induction, she decided to maintain an empty chair next to her as a mark of respect for her predecessor and party leader.
Delhi CM Atishi Draws Emotional Parallel with Ramayana
Drawing an emotional parallel with the Hindu epic Ramayana, Atishi, referring to herself, said, “I have taken charge as the Delhi Chief Minister. Today my pain is the same as that was of Bharat when Lord Ram went to exile for 14 years and Bharat had to take charge. Like Bharat kept the sandals of Lord Ram for 14 years and assumed charge, similarly, for the next four months, I will run the Delhi government like that…Arvind Kejriwal has set an example of dignity and morality.”
She added, “For the last two years, the BJP has left no stone unturned to malign the image of Arvind Kejriwal. False cases were put on him, he was arrested and put in jail for six months…Arvind Kejriwal has said that he will not sit on the CM’s chair until the public of Delhi shows trust in his honesty. So, he tendered his resignation. The chair of the Delhi Chief Minister belongs to Arvind Kejriwal. I am hopeful that the public of Delhi will elect him again as the Delhi Chief Minister. Till that, the chair will remain in this office and wait for Arvind Kejriwal.”
Delhi CM Atishi, 43, asserted her decision to remain the chief minister till next elections, four months from now, just like Bharat had to administer as the ruler with Khadaun sandals lying on his throne in the name of Lord Ram.
BJP’s Sharp Retaliation
The BJP soon retaliated by criticizing the symbolic gesture. One of the party’s spokespeople referred to it as an “advertisement stunt.” Shehzad Poonawalla posted a video on X, goading her for the gesture and describing it as a “kursi stunt.” He captioned his video, “Delhi gets its new Manmohan Singh,” which indicated Atishi would not be an independent member.
She announced in her first speech at Atishi that Kejriwal had been wrongly framed and imprisoned. She declared that the vacant chair in the office would be held till Kejriwal returned. “Arvind Kejriwal has set an example of dignity and morality, and the BJP has never left a stone unturned to malign him,” she asserted. She again declared on 14 October that “The chair of the Delhi Chief Minister belongs to Arvind Kejriwal.”. Hope the public of Delhi will elect him again.
Delhi CM Atishi was sworn in as a Minister on September 21. It is the third time a non-BJP Chief Minister has been sworn in as one in Delhi. As she continues to hold her former portfolios, 13 in total such as education, revenue, finance, power, and public works, she prepares herself for the sessions of the Delhi Assembly on September 26 and 27.
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