New Delhi. Today proved to be a very important day in Delhi politics, when after the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi was declared the next Chief Minister of Delhi. As soon as Atishi’s name was announced, the political atmosphere became heated, and sharp attacks have started against her from the opposition. The opposition is constantly targeting her, especially regarding her old surname and her father.
Who is Atishi’s father?
Atishi’s father Vijay Singh is a professor at Delhi University and has also played an active role in social service. Vijay Singh, who hails from Punjab, has also had a controversial political and social life. He is being accused of signing the mercy petition to save Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru from being hanged.
Opposition’s allegations
As soon as the news of Atishi becoming the Chief Minister came, the opposition targeted her father, alleging that Vijay Singh had fought to save Afzal Guru. Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal posted on Instagram, “Today is a very sad day. The Chief Minister of Delhi is going to be a woman whose family fought a legal battle to save terrorist Afzal Guru from hanging.”
#WATCH Delhi: AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal says, “This is an extremely unfortunate day for Delhi. A woman like Atishi is going to become the CM of Delhi, whose own family fought a long battle to save terrorist Afzal Guru from death penalty. Her parents wrote mercy petitions… pic.twitter.com/Tr1Qgvq54C
— ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2024
Union Minister and BJP leader Kiren Rijiju also made similar allegations. He said that Atishi’s family has been continuously trying to save Afzal Guru, which is a serious issue.
Controversy over the name
Atishi’s name is a symbol of her political and social views. Her father Vijay Singh has been associated with staunch communist ideology and he added ‘Marlena’ to Atishi’s name, which is inspired by the surnames of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. However, Atishi dropped her surname during the 2020 assembly elections, when she was accused of seeking votes on the basis of the Punjabi community. The BJP had alleged that Atishi was using her Punjabi identity to woo 30% Punjabi voters in the Kalkaji assembly constituency. To this, Atishi had responded that she never sought votes on the basis of caste or religion, but appealed for support on the basis of the development work of the Aam Aadmi Party.