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Atishi Takes Charge As Delhi CM, Leaves Chair Empty For ‘Lord Ram’ Arvind Kejriwal; BJP Calls It ‘Kursi Stunt’

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Atishi Takes Charge As Delhi CM, Leaves Chair Empty For 'Lord Ram' Arvind Kejriwal; BJP Calls It 'Kursi Stunt'

New Delhi: Atishi officially assumed office as the eighth Chief Minister of Delhi on Monday, succeeding Arvind Kejriwal, who recently resigned. She was seen sitting on a chair keeping another one empty beside her in a heartfelt, yet symbolic gesture for the ex-CM & her party supremo Arvind Kejriwal.

In her inaugural remarks, she drew a symbolic parallel to the Hindu epic Ramayana, stating, “My situation is like that of Bharat, when Lord Shri Rama went into exile, and Bharat had to govern in his absence.” Atishi, 43, pledged to lead the government for the next four months until the upcoming elections, echoing Bharat’s role in ruling with Lord Ram’s khadaun (sandals) on the throne.

BJP Mocks Gesture As Publicity Stunt

The BJP in no time came forward and slammed the new CM of Delhi over her symbolic gesture, terming it as a publicity stunt. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla posted a video on X mocking Atishi over the move. He termed her gesture towards Kejriwal as ‘kursi stunt’. “Delhi gets its new Manmohan Singh,” read the caption of the video post.

Atishi, after taking charge as CM lauded Kejriwal’s tenure as the CM and spoke on him being falsely implicated and kept in jail. She also mentioned that the empty chair in her office will stay until Kejriwal returns as the Chief Minister. “Arvind Kejriwal has set an example of dignity and morality. 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,” said Atishi.

“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,” she added.

Atishi Sworn In As Delhi CM

Atishi was sworn in alongside her cabinet on September 21, marking a major transition in Delhi’s leadership. The Delhi Assembly is set to convene on September 26 and 27. Retaining her previous responsibilities, Atishi continues to oversee 13 portfolios, including education, revenue, finance, power, and public works.

Yesterday that she is expected to officially take charge on Monday, with other ministers likely to do the same. Saurabh Bharadwaj, who manages eight portfolios, more than any other minister has already assumed his duties as of Saturday.

Atishi’s New Cabinet

Newly appointed Mukesh Ahlawat has taken charge of several departments, including labor, SC and ST affairs, employment, and land and building. Gopal Rai will oversee development, general administration, and environmental affairs, maintaining the portfolios he held under Kejriwal. Kailash Gahlot has retained his roles in transport, home, administrative reforms, and women and child development.

National News

‘Plans underway to arrest CM Atishi’, Arvind Kejriwal big claim

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New Delhi, Dec 25: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed that there were plans to arrest Delhi Chief Minister Atishi by framing her in fake cases in the next few days and plans were also underway to conduct raids on senior party leaders ahead of the 2025 Delhi Assembly election.

This comes after the national capital’s Health and Family Welfare department red-flagged the ruling AAP’s registration drive for Sanjeevani Yojana, a scheme to provide free treatment to Delhi’s residents over 60 at private and government hospitals. In a public notice published in newspapers on Wednesday, the department said that it does not have “any such supposed Sanjeevani scheme in existence”. It added that it had not authorised anyone to collect personal data from elderly citizens and is not providing any card. The department said any individual or political party collecting such forms under the name of this scheme is “fraudulent and without any authority”.

Kejriwal claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Atishi would soon be arrested in a fake case as some people were rattled by the AAP government’s announcement of welfare initiatives like the Mahila Samman Yojana and the Sanjeevani Yojana.

“These people are badly upset by the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana. They have planned to arrest Atishi ji in the next few days by making a fake case. Before that, raids will be conducted on senior AAP leaders. I will hold a press conference on this today at 12 o’clock,” Kejriwal said in a post on X.

The two AAP flagship schemes — Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana — were announced in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly Elections scheduled early next year. Kejriwal started the registration process of the two schemes aimed at women and senior citizens on Tuesday and held the door-to-door campaign.

Non-tax-paying eligible women will get Rs 1,000 per month in the Mahila Samman Yojana. The Sanjeevani Yojana promises free healthcare in government and private hospitals for senior citizens if AAP comes to power.

This comes after AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Atishi and party convener Arvind Kejriwal, visited several areas and launched doorstep registration for the Sanjeevani Yojana and Mahila Samman Yojana.

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Fraudulent, without authority: Two Delhi govt departments red-flag AAP’s ‘election’ schemes

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New Delhi, Dec 25: The Department of Women and Child Development and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Delhi, on Wednesday issued a public notice refuting claims regarding the existence of the ‘Sanjeevani Scheme’ and ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana.’

The Women and Child Development Department stated it has been alerted through media and social media reports that a political party is claiming to offer ₹2,100 per month to women in Delhi under the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana.’

The department clarified, “No such scheme has been notified by the Delhi government.”

The public notice, published in national newspapers, emphasised, “Since no such scheme is in existence, the question of accepting forms or applications for registration under this non-existent scheme does not arise. Any private person or political party collecting forms or information under this name is committing fraudulent and has no authority.”

Similarly, the Health and Family Welfare Department denied the existence of claims promising free medical treatment for individuals aged 60 and above at all government or private hospitals in Delhi, regardless of income criteria.

The department urged citizens to disregard such promises, terming them “misleading and unauthorised.” It also declared it would not bear responsibility for any liabilities or fraudulent activities arising from these false claims.

These statements come in the wake of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) door-to-door registration drive for two alleged welfare schemes: the ‘Mahila Samman Yojana,’ which promises ₹2,100 monthly to women, and the ‘Sanjeevani Yojana,’ which assures free medical treatment for individuals aged above 60 years.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seized the opportunity to bash AAP and its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi BJP vice president Kapil Mishra slammed Kejriwal for misleading the public, stating, “What a big fraud Kejriwal is committing with the sisters of Delhi. On one side, Kejriwal is getting women to fill forms; on the other side, the Delhi government’s notice in today’s newspapers says there is no such scheme, and these forms are fake.”

Mocking the AAP leader, he concluded, “Wah re Farjiwal.”

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‘Delhi Chalo’ March: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Accuses Centre Of Ignoring Farmers’ Demands

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Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government for what he alleged, meting out step-motherly treatment to the farmers by not even giving them an opportunity to air their demands.

In a statement, the chief minister alleged that Prime Minister Modi appeared to be more worried about intervening in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine but was indifferent towards the farmers.

Mann further alleged that despite the immense contribution of farmers, the Union government appears to have adopted a hostile attitude towards them and held that it is strange that the Union government is not ready to talk to farmers sitting 200 km away from the national capital.

Urging the Union government to shun its haughty attitude and open way for dialogue with the agitating farmers, Mann said that the centre should not wait for any special moment to talk to the farmers, rather it should hold talks with the farmers and redress their grievances immediately.

Earlier in the day, Mann also posted on X: “ The central government should abandon its old stubbornness and open the way for talks with the farmers’ organizations… A cat does not run away when a pigeon winks.. I don’t know what penance the central government is doing now?? If Modi ji can stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, then can’t he talk to the breadwinners sitting 200 kilometers away? What time are you waiting for..’’

It may be recalled that a large number of farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab and Haryana under the aegis of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha since February 13 last and had repeatedly attempted to take out their “Delhi chalo’’ foot-march towards Delhi but were stopped by the Haryana police by lobbing teargas shells and using water cannons which left several farmers injured.

Also, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, 70, a cancer patient, has also been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border since November 26 last to press for farmers’ various demands including MSP for crops and debt waiver. The doctors attending on him have also expressed their concerns about his worsening health.

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