Arvind Kejriwal calling Atishi temporary CM is insulting: Lt Governor VK Saxena

Atishi was elevated to the position of cabinet minister in the Delhi government after Satyender Jain and Manish Sisodia tendered their resignations last year.

In a letter to Delhi chief minister Atishi, Lt Governor VK Saxena on Monday expressed objection to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal calling Atishi a temporary CM. The letter, criticised the remark as an affront to constitutional values and the dignity of the office.

"...I found this very objectionable and I was hurt by it. It was not only an insult to you, but also to your appointee, the President of India and to me as her representative… As a Lieutenant Governor, I am concerned about this level of public discourse and at the same time, I am hurt by the conversation of presenting the full-time Chief Minister of my government as a temporary Chief Minister..." reads the letter.

In September, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi was named as the new CM of Delhi ofollowing Kejriwal's announcement to resign from the top post after being granted interim bail for his alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor policy case. The official announcement was made by Delhi minister Gopal Rai.

Taking a jibe at AAP over the announcement, the Delhi unit of BJP shared a poster on X, showing Arvind Kejriwal controlling Atishi with strings, insinuating that he would run the Delhi government through her.

Notably, several other AAP leaders were in the fray to succeed Kejriwal, including Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Gopal Rai.

Atishi was elevated to the position of cabinet minister in the Delhi government after Satyender Jain and Manish Sisodia tendered their resignations last year. She, along with Saurabh Bharadwaj, were made Delhi ministers, but Atishi was given charge of 14 departments, including education, finance, planning, PWD, water, power and public relations.