‘Atishi better...’: Delhi LG amid tense ties

Atishi did not address Saxena’s comments in her speech, focussing on the government’s efforts to expand higher education opportunities in Delhi

Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena on Friday said chief minister Atishi was “a thousand times better than her predecessor”, without naming former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, offering the incumbent CM rare praise on one hand and underscoring his strained relations with the party that helms the elected state government on the other.

Delhi LG VK Saxena and chief minister Atishi on Friday. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

“I am happy today that Delhi’s chief minister is a woman, and I can confidently say that she is perhaps a thousand times better than her predecessor,” Saxena said during his address at the convocation ceremony of the Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW), as Atishi sat nearby.

Atishi spoke after him, but did not address Saxena’s comments in her speech, focussing on the government’s efforts to expand higher education opportunities in Delhi.

Saxena’s comments come amid a nadir in ties between the elected AAP government and the office of the LG, who is nominated by the Centre.

The Capital’s two power centres have traded barbs on a string of occasions. The state government has accused the LG of centralising control of the city’s bureaucracy and hampering the administration. Saxena, on the other hand, has accused the party of graft and of working in its self-interest, giving his sanction for a string of anti-corruption cases against government agencies and officials.

Notably, this August, Saxena turned down a recommendation by then chief minister Kejriwal – who was behind bars at the time – that Atishi unfurl the Tricolour during the Capital’s Independence Day celebrations. He instead nominated then senior Delhi minister and AAP member Kailash Gahlot.

Gahlot quit the party earlier this week and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

HT reached out to the AAP to seek a response on the LG’s statement, but did not receive a response till the time of going to print.

During her talk on Friday, Atishi said the government has set up four new universities and expanded the existing university campuses in the past 10 years. As a result of the government’s efforts, the CM added, student enrolment in Delhi government universities has doubled.

“In the last 10 years, four new universities were established: Netaji Subhas University of Technology, Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University, Delhi Teachers University, and Delhi Sports University. Existing universities like Ambedkar University, DTU, and NSUT saw significant campus expansions. In 2014, 83,620 students were enrolled in Delhi government universities. This number has nearly doubled, reaching 155,000 in 2024,” she said.

The Delhi CM also announced plans to extend the government’s acclaimed Business Blasters programme, which fosters entrepreneurial skills among school students, to all Delhi government universities.

During Kejriwal’s recent imprisonment, Atishi led protests against his arrest and managed AAP’s political and policy agenda in the Capital. Following Kejriwal’s resignation in September, he picked Atishi as CM until the 2025 Delhi elections, cementing her meteoric rise within the party of which she has been a member since its inception in 2013.

Saxena later posted on X that the women who graduated on Friday will break barriers, redefine gender roles, and step into a rapidly changing world with technical expertise and determination.

“Their bright, young minds are a testament to the innovation and resilience needed to lead in this era of transformation. These young women carry not only the promise of bright futures but also a new-found responsibility to contribute to their parents and families, society, and nation-building. This convocation marks a celebration of progress and the vital role women play in shaping a technologically advanced and equitable future,” Saxena wrote.