Atishi refuses to sit on Kejriwal's chair as Delhi CM like 'Bharat in Ramayana', BJP calls it drama

Atishi sat next to the chair where Kejriwal used to sit when he was the Chief Minister.

She posted a photo from her office on X saying, "Today I have taken over the responsibility of the Chief Minister of Delhi. Today I have the same pain in my heart that Bharat had when his elder brother Lord Shri Ram went on a 14-year exile, and Bharat ji had to take over the governance of Ayodhya.

"Just like Bharat ruled Ayodhya for 14 years by keeping Lord Shri Ram's sandals, I will run the government of Delhi for 4 months…"

'Atishi is Manmohan Singh of Delhi'

Taking a dig at the new Chief Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell head Amit Malviya posted on X, "This drama in Delhi must stop. Today Atishi Marlena took charge by placing an empty chair next to her Chief Minister's chair.

"That means Atishi is the Manmohan Singh of the Delhi government and the real Chief Minister is Arvind Kejriwal, whom the Supreme Court has stopped from going to the Delhi Secretariat, let alone signing files."

"This is a mockery of the constitution made by Baba Saheb. The oath of office and secrecy of the chief minister was taken by Marlena, not by the ghost of Kejriwal sitting on an empty chair," he added.

Atishi becomes youngest Delhi CM

On Saturday, Atishi took oath as the Delhi Chief Minister, the youngest in the national capital to be in the office, succeeding Kejriwal, who dramatically stepped down as the Chief Minister after he secured a bail in the excise policy case and walked out of Delhi's Tihar jail.

The 43-year-old became the third woman Chief Minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit.

As a Chief Minister, Kerjiwal was barred by the Supreme Court from signing any document and entering into his office.

He demanded the polls in Delhi, which are scheduled to be held in February, should be hosted in November along with elections in Maharashtra.

"I am here to ask people whether they consider Kejriwal to be guilty or innocent?" he said.

Slamming the BJP, he said the political outfit put him behind bars since it was scared of his performance. "The only thing I have is honesty," he said.

The Supreme Court last week granted bail to Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the excise policy case.

Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI in June when he was already in Tihar Jail in connection with the same case.

The AAP supremo has been in jail since March 21 when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate over money laundering allegations while framing the Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped after the Lieutenant Governor raised red flags.

He was arrested by the CBI on June 26.

The ED has alleged the money Kejriwal got from the liquor sellers was used to fund the party's campaign in Goa since he is the convenor of the AAP.