New Delhi, Sep 23 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reacting sharply to the 'grandstanding' by Delhi's new Chief Minister Atishi while taking charge of the Chief Minister's office on Monday, said that it was nothing less than making a mockery of the Constitution.
A couple of BJP spokespersons slammed the Atishi-led AAP government and accused it of staging a drama by keeping an empty chair for Arvind Kejriwal inside the Chief Minister's office.
Senior BJP leader Tom Vadakkan lashed out at the new Delhi CM and dubbed her as a "puppet CM" and Kejriwal as the "puppeteer."
"AAP got wiped out in Lok Sabha elections, but that didn't draw a lesson from it. Naatak and nautanki mein Atishi number one hai (Atishi is Number 1 in drama and gimmicks)," Vadakkan told IANS.
In further criticism of the Delhi govt, he said that the new Delhi CM will keep resorting to such gimmicks as she has no standing of her own and became Chief Minister with the backing of Arvind Kejriwal.
"She is a puppet CM, Kejriwal is the puppeteer. There are no doubts about remote control being in the hands of Kejriwal. Till the time he is not held guilty by the court, this drama will go on," he further said.
BJP IT-cell chief Amit Malviya took to X to hit out at AAP's drama.
He said, "This drama in Delhi must stop. Today, Atishi Marlena took charge by placing an empty chair next to her Chief Minister's chair," said.
He also drew a parallel between Atishi and former PM Manmohan Singh and said that real power will lie in the hands of their political masters.
Malviya also sought to remind the Atishi-led government that the oath of office and secrecy of the chief minister was taken by Marlena, not by the ghost of Kejriwal sitting on an empty chair.
Earlier, addressing a press conference after taking charge of the CM's office, Atishi said that she was feeling pain similar to Bharat when Lord Ram went to 14-year-long exile.
"I am confident that now the people of Delhi will make Kejriwal the CM again by making him victorious with a huge majority in the Assembly elections. Till then, this chair of the Chief Minister will wait for Arvind Kejriwal," she said.
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