New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Atishi, who is set to succeed as the Delhi Chief Minister, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Virendraa Sachdeva on Tuesday alleged that the Delhi Minister's parents had written mercy petitions to cancel the death sentence of the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He also claimed that an "anti-national government" would now run the national capital.
Addressing a press conference, the Delhi BJP chief said, "Arvind Kejriwal has pushed Delhi into anarchy after announcing Atishi Marlena's name. There's a reason behind it. We all have heard the name of Afzal Guru. A mercy petition was submitted to the President for Afzal Guru, and her parents signed it." Sachdeva displayed pictures of Afzal Guru, his parents, and the petition sent to the President, stating, "In this petition, Atishi's parents' picture was also present."
He further alleged that an anti-national government would operate in Delhi, adding that it is Delhi's "bad luck" that Atishi is becoming the Chief Minister.
"Now, in Delhi, not just a corrupt government, but an anti-national one will operate. They will work to divide the country. Remember Atishi's speech at JNU, where she said, 'Don't vote for a capable candidate (referring to BJP or ABVP); instead, vote for goons.' It's Delhi's misfortune that she is going to be the Chief Minister."
Meanwhile, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said that the situation in Delhi is dire and blamed AAP for worsening it over the past decade.
"This resignation is delayed. Delhi has been without a CM for the last six months. It's clear that Arvind Kejriwal's ego is bigger than Delhi's welfare. Now, when all his options were closed, he decided to bring Atishi as CM. This is all a drama to deceive the people of Delhi. The situation in Delhi is bad. Congress destroyed Delhi for 15 years, and AAP has worsened it over the last 10 years. If elections are held within a month, the BJP is ready," Tiwari said.
Earlier today, Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal alleged that the Delhi Minister's parents had written mercy petitions to cancel the death sentence of Afzal Guru.
Calling Atishi a "Dummy CM," Maliwal said, "May God protect Delhi." She also shared a purported letter, which she claimed was the mercy petition written by Atishi's parents.
"Today is a very sad day for Delhi. A woman is being made the Chief Minister of Delhi whose family fought a long battle to save terrorist Afzal Guru from hanging. Her parents wrote mercy petitions to the Honourable President to save Afzal Guru. According to them, Afzal Guru was innocent and was framed as part of a political conspiracy," Maliwal said in a post on X.
"Although Atishi Marlena is just a 'Dummy CM,' this issue is related to the security of the country. May God protect Delhi!" she added.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday, and the party's newly-elected legislative party leader Atishi has staked her claim to form the new government.
Kejriwal tendered his resignation to Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena.
Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail in the national capital on September 13 after the apex court granted him bail in the Delhi excise policy case.
The current term of the Delhi Assembly will end on February 11, 2025. The last assembly election in Delhi was held on February 8, 2020. AAP leaders have said that the assembly polls in Delhi should be held alongside those in Maharashtra and Jharkhand later this year.
—ANI