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Atishi takes charge, leaves vacant chair for Kejriwal in chief minister’s office
Atishi said the chair will remain vacant for Arvind Kejriwal until the February 2025 elections when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief will become Delhi’s top elected official again
Atishi on Monday took charge as the chief minister leaving a vacant chair for Arvind Kejriwal saying it will remain in her office until the February 2025 elections when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief will become Delhi’s top elected official again.
“I have taken the charge... I am feeling the same pain that Bharat felt when Lord Shri Ram went into a 14-year exile...Bharat had to handle the administration of Ayodhya. The way Bharat handled the administration of Ayodhya with the slippers of Ram, the same way for the next four months I will run the Delhi government,” Atishi said.
“…..the life of Lord Ram is an example of morality for all of us. Similarly, Arvind Kejriwal has established an example of morality in the politics of this country. In the last two years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) indulged in mud slinging against Kejriwal, lodged fake cases against him, arrested him and kept him in jail for six months. When the Supreme Court gave him bail, it said that he was arrested due to malice.”
She added Kejriwal will not sit on the vacant chair unless the people say he is honest. “He resigned from the position of the chief minister. But the chair of the chief minister of Delhi, this chair belongs to Arvind Kejriwal.”
Atishi said Delhi will once again elect Kejriwal in the assembly elections. “He will sit on this chair. Until then this chair will stay in this room, and wait for Arvind Kejriwal,” said Atishi.
Kejriwal resigned on September 17 days after he was released on bail after six months in connection with alleged corruption in now-scrapped 2021-22 Delhi excise policy case.
He said he was resigning to rebut the “false cases and allegations” against him by going among the people of Delhi and demonstrating public support for his return to office when elections are held next.
Kejriwal on Sunday said the Delhi assembly election will be a trial by fire for him. “If you think I am honest, vote for me. If you think otherwise, then do not vote for me,” said Kejriwal.
