The political confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the central government intensified on Thursday as Delhi Chief Minister Atishi addressed the controversy surrounding her alleged eviction from the official residence formerly occupied by Arvind Kejriwal. AAP has claimed that Atishi was evicted just two days after moving into the residence, leading to accusations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a passionate statement, Atishi asserted that the BJP was attempting to seize the chief minister’s house due to its inability to secure the chief minister’s position. “The BJP can keep the bungalow if it wants because leaders from the AAP live in people’s hearts,” she declared.
Atishi criticized the BJP’s tactics, suggesting that the party has resorted to various strategies, including what opposition parties term ‘Operation Lotus,’ which alleges that the BJP tries to lure MLAs to form governments in states where it has lost elections. “The BJP is worried because it cannot defeat us in elections,” she emphasized. “When they are unable to form a government, they start ‘Operation Lotus,’ then they put leaders in jail. They could not have their own chief minister, so now they are thinking of seizing the chief minister’s residence. If this brings them peace, they are welcome to do so.”
Atishi, who took her oath of office on September 21, just days after Kejriwal resigned, further stated, “We did not come into politics to live in big cars and big bungalows. If needed, we will run the government sitting on the road.”
The AAP’s claims regarding Atishi’s eviction have sparked a debate about the political climate in Delhi. The Chief Minister’s Office alleged that the Lieutenant Governor, acting at the behest of the BJP, forcibly removed Atishi’s belongings from the residence.
However, sources from the Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s office countered these allegations, stating that Atishi had retained her belongings in the bungalow before it was officially allotted to her. “This house has not been allotted to Chief Minister Atishi yet. Her residence is still at 17 AB Mathura Road, which was assigned to her after she became a minister last year. How can two houses get allotted?” a source remarked.
The BJP also contended that Kejriwal had not completely vacated the bungalow, as many of his belongings remained there. A letter from BJP leader Vijender Gupta to the special secretary of the Chief Minister’s Office highlighted that the keys to the house at 6, Flag Staff Road, had been taken back after being handed over to the Public Works Department (PWD) and had not yet been officially allocated.
Sources By Agencies
