'Kejriwal's slippers...': Prashant Bhushan's dig at Delhi CM Atishi
What's the story
Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan has taken a jibe at Delhi Chief Minister Atishi.
This comes after she chose to sit on a different chair, leaving the seat previously occupied by her party chief Arvind Kejriwal vacant.
"She might as well keep Kejriwal's slippers on the CM's chair & say that the slippers are running the government!" wrote Bhushan in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Symbolic gesture
Atishi's symbolic gesture
Atishi, who was sworn in as Delhi's eighth chief minister on Monday, left Kejriwal's chair vacant as a symbolic gesture.
She likened her situation to that of Bharat from the Ramayana, who had placed Lord Ram's "khadaun" (sandals) on the throne during his 14-year exile.
"I have taken charge as the chief minister of Delhi today and accepted this responsibility," Atishi said after taking oath.
BJP's criticism
BJP criticizes Atishi's actions as 'mockery of Constitution'
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Virendra Sachdeva has also criticized Atishi's actions, calling them a "mockery of the Constitution."
"If she did not want to sit in the chair, why did she become the Chief Minister? Why did she take an oath? If she doesn't occupy the chair, who will work for Delhi?" he questioned.
Sachdeva accused AAP leaders of being preoccupied with cleaning Kejriwal's image and playing with public sentiment.
Political transition
Kejriwal's resignation and Atishi's appointment
Kejriwal resigned as Delhi CM on September 20, after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
He will now focus on the party's national expansion, reports said.
With Delhi assembly elections just four months away, Atishi's stint in office is expected to be a short one.