Delhi new CM: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (September 23) criticised Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, calling it a 'mockery of the Constitution,' after she left the CM's chair empty for AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP leader Atishi officially took charge on Monday. In a symbolic gesture, she left the Chief Minister's chair empty and chose to sit on a different chair.
'Mockery of Constitution'
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that this is a mockery of the constitution and asked if she was not interested then why did she become the chief minister. "This is a mockery of the Constitution. If she did not want to sit on the chair, why did she become the chief minister? Why did she take an oath? If she does not sit on the chair, who will work for Delhi? Electricity bills are so high, who will pay for drinking water?" said Sachdeva.
The BJP leader further said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders should stop making a mockery of the Constitution in this manner, adding that Atishi is disrespecting constitutional norms and the position of the CM.
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He further said that AAP leaders are busy cleaning Kejriwal's image. "They are hell-bent on showing Kejriwal as an idealist and her as helpless. This is not a masterstroke, it is playing with the public," he added.
'Wants to run Lalu-Rabri model and Manmohan-Sonia model'
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said that Atishi and Arvind Kejriwal want to run a government like the Lalu-Rabri model and Manmohan-Sonia model. "They want to run a corrupt government. The people of Delhi are asking them a question as to why a rubber stamp or a puppet CM is made the CM...It has become the people of Delhi vs BJP. Atishi and Kejriwal hate the people of Delhi so much that they cannot give them a temporary CM but a puppet CM," the BJP leader said.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said that Atishi is showing disrespect to the chief minister's post and constitution. "Atishi has taken oath as the Delhi Chief Minister and if she shows an empty chair, this raises many questions. This means that she does not consider herself the Chief Minister.
If being the Chief Minister herself, she considers someone else as the CM, this amounts to showing disrespect to the CM's post and constitution...I have written a letter to Delhi CM Atishi. Who will read my letter?... How can a chief minister say that she is a puppet?... They are hurting the sentiments of the public," he said.
Atishi took charge as Delhi CM
AAP leader Atishi took charge as the eighth chief minister of Delhi on Monday and said she would work like Bharat did by keeping his elder brother Lord Ram's 'khadaun' (wooden slippers) on Ayodhya's throne. She did not sit on the chair used by Kejriwal and said that his chair would remain unoccupied in the chief minister's office. She sat on a white chair, which was placed next to Kejriwal's chair.
"Today I took charge as the Chief Minister of Delhi. Today I have the same pain in my heart as Bharat ji had. Just as Bharat ji worked by keeping Lord Shri Ram's 'khadaun', I will work as the Chief Minister for the next 4 months," she said.
She further said that former CM Arvind Kejriwal has set an example of dignity and morality in politics and BJP left no stone unturned to tarnish his image. "For the last 2 years, the BJP has left no stone unturned in throwing mud on Arvind Kejriwal ji. I put him in jail for 6 months. The court also said that the agency arrested Arvind Kejriwal with malice. This chair belongs to Arvind Kejriwal. I am confident that in the elections to be held in February, the people of Delhi will make Arvind Kejriwal the Chief Minister again by making him win. Till then, this chair of Arvind Kejriwal will remain here," she added.
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