NEW DELHI: AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal said that it is an extremely sad day for the Union Territory, following Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement that Atishi would succeed him as the Delhi Chief Minister.
"Today is a very sad day for Delhi. A woman whose family fought a long battle to save terrorist Afzal Guru from being hanged is being made the Chief Minister of Delhi," Maliwal wrote on X.
She also shared a purported video clip of Atishi's mother being heard calling Afzal Guru a scapegoat in the 2001 Parliament attack.
Maliwal alleged that CM-elect Atishi's parents wrote mercy petitions to the honorable President to save terrorist Afzal Guru.
"According to them, Afzal Guru was innocent and was framed as part of a political conspiracy," she said.
Maliwal further called Atishi a "dummy CM". "Although Atishi Marlena is just a 'dummy CM', issue is still related to the security of the country. May God protect Delhi," she stated.
Strongly reacting to her remarks, AAP leader and party's chief whip Dilip Pandey said Maliwal, who is toeing BJP's line, should tender resignation and choose the path to Rajya Sabha on a BJP ticket.
"Understand one thing. Swati Maliwal is a person who takes the ticket to Rajya Sabha from AAP but takes the script to react from BJP. If she has even a little shame, she should resign as a Rajya Sabha MP and choose the path to Rajya Sabha on a BJP ticket," Pandey told mediapersons.
Maliwal, who is still part of the AAP, had developed a major rift with the party since she was allegedly assaulted by Kejriwal's close-aide Bibhav Kumar at the CM's residence on May 13 following which the Delhi Police arrested Bibhav Kumar.