'Make Arvind Kejriwal CM Again Or Else...': Atishi Urges Delhi In First Speech After Taking Oath

Atishi was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Delhi on September 21 at Raj Niwas. She has replaced AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal who resigned from the post, two days after his release from jail.

Atishi Marlena was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Delhi on Saturday, September 21, at Raj Niwas.

Source : PTI

In her first speech after taking charge as the Chief Minister of Delhi, Atishi praised and thanked her "guru" and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for entrusting her with the responsbility. She urged people to vote for him and make him the Delhi CM again. The new Delhi CM claimed that if Kejriwal is not voted back to power, the Bharatiya Janata Party would "conspire" and halt all the facilities that the AAP-led government had provided to the people of Delhi.

Addressing a press conference, she said: "I would like to thank Arvind Kejriwal for trusting me and giving me such a big responsibility to serve people of Delhi. I have taken oath as Delhi CM, however, it is a very emotional and difficult moment for us as Arvind Kejriwal is no longer CM. Arvind Kejriwal changed the lives of people of Delhi. He is a person who has changed the image of Delhi in the last 10 years."

VIDEO | "First of all, I would like to thank Arvind Kejriwal for trusting me and giving me such a big responsibility to serve people of Delhi. I have taken oath as Delhi CM, however, it is a very emotional moment for us as Arvind Kejriwal is no longer CM. He is a person who has… pic.twitter.com/pjqSiv46SN

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 21, 2024

Atishi said Arvind Kejriwal has "changed the lives" of the people of Delhi in the past decade and has understood the plight of the poor. She reiterated that the BJP had hatched a consipracy against Kejriwal and implicated him in a false case to break him.

"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.The BJP implicated him in a false case and did everything to break him," the chief minister said.

She said the BJP kept him in jail for over six months but he did not "bow down". " Supreme Court has given him bail, despite that in PMLA cases it is almost impossible to get bail. Not only that, they said that his arrest was due to back, and said that Central agencies like CBI and ED are caged parrots," Atishi added.

After taking oath, Atishi touched Arvind Kejriwal's feet and sought blessings from him. 

VIDEO | Atishi (@AtishiAAP) touched AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal's feet and sought blessings from him after taking oath as Delhi Chief Minister earlier today.

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/Ubxr6P3h4i

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 21, 2024

'Make Arvind Kejriwal CM Again In Upcoming Delhi Polls'

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the capital due early next year, Atishi stated that the people of Delhi must vote to make Kejriwal their CM if they wish to enjoy the free services like water and electricity. She further accused the BJP of attempting to stop these free services. "I assure you that since Kejriwal has come out of jail now, we will not let any conspiracy of the BJP succeed," she added.

"People of Delhi will have to do one thing, that is, to make Arvind Kejriwal CM again in the upcoming Assembly elections that will be held in February next year. If people don't make Arvind Kejriwal their CM, then BJP will stop the facility of free electricity through conspiracy," Atishi said.

VIDEO | "People of Delhi will have to do one thing, that is, to make Arvind Kejriwal CM again in the upcoming Assembly elections that will be held in February next year. If people don't make Arvind Kejriwal their CM, then BJP will stop the facility of free electricity through… pic.twitter.com/Lqv8vdl9Cx

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 21, 2024

She hailed the former Delhi CM for setting an example by stepping down from his post despite being granted bail by the Supreme Court in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

"Setting an example of honesty and integrity, Arvind Kejriwal resigned from the chief minister’s post. He said the court's decision alone is not enough. 'I will go to the people's court, and I will not return to the Chief Minister's seat until the people of Delhi declare that I am honest’, Atishi said.