Atishi takes charge as Delhi CM, leaves Kejriwal's chair unoccupied

New Delhi: AAP leader Atishi took charge as the eighth chief minister of Delhi on Monday and said she would work like Bharat did by keeping his elder brother Lord Ram's 'khadaun' (wooden slippers) on Ayodhya's throne.

She did not sit on the chair used by Kejriwal and said that his chair would remain unoccupied in the chief minister's office. Instead, she sat on a white chair placed next to Kejriwal's chair.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva slammed Atishi, saying it was an "insult" to the post of the chief minister. Atishi has retained the 13 portfolios she held in the Kejriwal government, including those of education, revenue, finance, power and PWD.

"I will work for four months as the chief minister of Delhi like Bharat did by keeping Lord Ram's khadaun on the throne. Arvind Kejriwal has set an example of dignity in politics by stepping down. The BJP left no stone unturned to tarnish his image," she said after taking charge.

"Kejriwal was granted bail by the Supreme Court, which said his arrest was carried out with ill intentions. Had there been somebody else, they wouldn't have even thought for a moment and sat on the chief minister's chair, but he chose to resign," she said.

Environment Minister Gopal Rai also took charge at the Delhi Secretariat. New entrant Mukesh Ahlawat, allotted the portfolios of labour, SC and ST, employment and land and building departments, also took charge at the Delhi Secretariat.

Hitting out at Atishi, Sachdeva said her gesture was an "insult" to the constitutional rules and the post of chief minister. "What she did was not ideal. Through her gesture, she has not only insulted the post of chief minister but also hurt the feelings of the people of Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal needs to answer -- whether he will run the government through remote control," he said.

The new Cabinet headed by Atishi has a long list of pending projects, schemes, and new initiatives to launch in the next few months before Delhi goes to the polls in February next year.

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