BJP slams Atishi for 'irresponsible statements', says she undermined CM's office

New Delhi: The BJP criticised Atishi on Monday for making "irresponsible statements" despite holding the acting chief minister's position in Delhi, alleging that she has repeatedly undermined the dignity of the office.

At a press conference, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that Atishi is struggling to gain acceptance within her own party, adding that multiple senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs are unwilling to acknowledge her as the leader of the opposition.

Sachdeva took a dig at Atishi's tenure as the chief minister, recalling how she placed an empty chair beside her during her appointment ceremony and how AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal repeatedly referred to her as a "temporary chief minister".

He alleged that these actions diminished the dignity of the chief minister's office.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also questioned Atishi's concern over the chief minister's post, pointing out that for five months, when Kejriwal was in jail, the position remained vacant and there was no protest from her.

"Atishi Marlena must clarify whether it is true that multiple-term MLAs like Mateen Ahmed, Gopal Rai, Sanjeev Jha, Kuldeep Kumar and Jarnail Singh, let alone politically-connected MLAs like Ale Mohammad and Punardeep Singh Sahni, are unwilling to accept her as the leader of the opposition," Sachdeva said.

He also accused Atishi of misusing the acting chief minister's position to make baseless allegations, including about power cuts in Delhi and looting, against newly-elected BJP MLAs.

Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Atishi accused the BJP of lacking a credible leader to govern the national capital.

"It has been 10 days since the election results were announced. People thought the BJP would declare the names of its chief minister and cabinet ministers on February 9 and launch development projects immediately. But it is now clear that it has no face to run Delhi," she said.

The BJP came to power in Delhi after a gap of more than 26 years by winning the Assembly polls held earlier this month. The saffron party ended the 10-year rule of the AAP in the capital.