Delhi: Atishi urges residents to make Kejriwal CM again

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) In her first remarks after taking oath on Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi hit out at the BJP for hatching a "conspiracy" against her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal and urged the people of the capital to ensure that the AAP supremo returns to the top post after the Assembly polls due early next year.

Addressing a press conference here, Atishi said it is an "emotional day" for her as Kejriwal will not continue to be the chief minister.

"It is an emotional day for me as he will not be the chief minister. He understood the pain of every person. He ensured free treatment for people, worked to improve the lives of the students of government schools, brought the provision of free bus rides for women," she said.

Kejriwal was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court in the excise policy-linked corruption case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In an unexpected announcement last Sunday, Kejriwal said he will resign and not sit on the chief minister's chair till he gets a "certificate of honesty" from people.

"The BJP implicated him (Kejriwal) in a false case and did everything to break him," Atishi said, as she referred to Kejriwal as her "political guru" and "elder brother" while thanking the AAP national convenor for giving her this opportunity.

With the Assembly polls due early next year, Atishi said the people of the national capital must ensure that Kejriwal becomes the chief minister again so that the free services like free electricity and water continue.

"There will be polls in February. If the two crore people of Delhi do not elect Arvind Kejriwal as their chief minister, the BJP will stop their free electricity, free treatment and free bus rides for women," she said.

Atishi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to stop the facilities that were enjoyed by people under the Kejriwal government.

"I assure you that since Kejriwal has come out of jail now, we will not let any conspiracy of the BJP succeed," she said.

Atishi hailed Kejriwal for setting an example in morality by stepping down as the chief minister despite getting bail from Supreme Court in the excise policy case.

Noting that the apex court not only granted him bail, but also gave a "tight slap" on the BJP-led Centre''s face when it called investigative agencies a "caged parrot", she said had there been someone else, he would have hung on to the chief minister's chair.

"But Kejriwalji has set an example in morality and honesty in politics. He said the court's decision is not enough for him and he will not sit on the chief minister's chair till he gets a decision from the people's court," Atishi said.

In a post in Hindi on X, she referred to Kejriwal as "the son of Delhiites" and the "most popular chief minister", and thanked him for entrusting her with the responsibility of serving the two crore people of the capital.

"Arvind Kejriwal understood the struggle of the common man and changed the face of Delhi in the last 10 years with excellent education and health facilities, free electricity and many other facilities," Atishi said.

Reiterating that it is a very "emotional moment" for her since Kejriwal is not the chief minister anymore, she said the AAP has only one objective in the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls -- to make him return to the top post again.

"Also, in these four months, under the guidance of Arvind Kejriwal, all those work of Delhiites will be done which was stopped by the BJP with its conspiracies. Arvind Kejriwalji is now out of jail and will not let any conspiracy of the BJP succeed," the chief minister asserted. PTI