Swati Maliwal Urges Kejriwal To Make A Dalit Leader of Oppn In Delhi

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Wednesday wrote a letter to Aam Aadmi Party Chief Arvind Kejriwal urging him to announce a Dalit leader as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

Swati Maliwal said that Kejriwal had promised to make a Dalit Deputy CM in Punjab during the 2022 assembly elections but later ‘backtracked’ on his promise. Maliwal urged him to make a Dalit LoP and pay “true tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar.

AAP suffered a major setback in the Delhi Assembly election, in which the people’s mandate went against the ruling party, throwing them out of power. AAP secured only 22 seats — a fall of 40 seats — while BJP secured a majority by winning 48 in the 70-member legislative assembly, marking its return in the national capital after 27 years.

“During the Punjab elections in 2022, you had promised that after winning, we will make a Dalit Deputy Chief Minister, it is very sad that even after 3 years this promise has not been fulfilled. Now, when the time has come to appoint a Leader of Opposition in Delhi, I request you to make an MLA from the Dalit community of the party from Delhi as the Leader of Opposition in Delhi,” Maliwal wrote to Kejriwal.

“I hope this time he will pay true tribute to respected Babasaheb Ambedkar by making a Dalit MLA from Delhi the LOP,” she added.

Meanwhile, BJP will hold a legislative meeting today with its top leadership to finalise the Chief Minister and Cabinet Minister of Delhi as the party is set to return to the capital after 27 years.

The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to take place on February 20 at 4:30 pm Ramilila Maidan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states, NDA leaders, Union Ministers, and other prominent figures will attend the ceremony, a top party source told ANI.

A cultural program featuring music and songs will precede the ceremony, Around 30,000 guests have been invited to the ceremony. RSS leaders and spiritual Dharm Gurus will also attend the oath ceremony. Industrialists, celebrities likely to attend the programme, BJP leaders and workers from other states who were deployed for the Delhi Assembly elections have also been invited to the ceremony. Laddli Bahanas, Delhi farmers, and around 30,000 guests are also invited to the oath-taking ceremony. (ANI)