Rekha Gupta becomes the new Chief Minister of Delhi.

Rekha Gupta performed Yamuna Aarti and held a Cabinet meeting.
Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh’s pictures remained in the CM office.

New Delhi: The newly formed BJP government in Delhi is showing swift action. Cleaning the Yamuna River is one of the promises made to the people of Delhi. Therefore, on her very first day in office, Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with all her Cabinet ministers, visited Vasudev Ghat on the Yamuna River and performed the Yamuna Aarti. However, after the swearing-in ceremony, when she entered the Chief Minister’s office in the Delhi Secretariat, a decision made by Arvind Kejriwal in 2002 was still evident there.

After being granted bail by the court in the liquor case and being released from jail, Arvind Kejriwal resigned from the Chief Minister’s post, appointing Atishi as the new CM. After taking office, Atishi had declared that she would not sit on the CM’s chair, as it belonged to Arvind Kejriwal. She had stated that once he won the elections again, he would reclaim his seat. However, Kejriwal’s government could not return to power in the elections.

Therefore, after taking the oath on Thursday, Rekha Gupta finally sat in the chair where Arvind Kejriwal used to sit. However, a decision taken by the Kejriwal government in January 2002 was still reflected in the CM office.

What Was Arvind Kejriwal’s Decision?

On January 25, 2022, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that all government offices in Delhi would display pictures of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh instead of any political leader. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief made this declaration during Delhi’s Republic Day program. He stated that even the Chief Minister’s photograph would not be displayed in government offices. Kejriwal emphasized that he was most inspired by Ambedkar, who was born into a Dalit family and became the chairman of the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution, and by Bhagat Singh, a revolutionary freedom fighter who chose a different path for the same goal.

The Mark of Kejriwal in the CM Office

After taking the oath at Ramlila Maidan, newly appointed Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta arrived at the Delhi Secretariat, where photographers eagerly awaited her. Upon entering the CM office and sitting on the Chief Minister’s chair, she found the portraits of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh behind her— a decision implemented by Kejriwal. While the new CM occupied the chair, the room remained unchanged from AAP’s tenure. Just hours after taking the oath, Rekha Gupta, along with her ministers, participated in the Yamuna Aarti. The issue of the Yamuna River’s pollution was a major talking point during the BJP’s election campaign, and the new government is now showing commitment to its cleanup.

Cabinet Meeting After Yamuna Aarti

Following the Yamuna Aarti, the first cabinet meeting of the Delhi government took place. Ministers present included Pravesh Verma, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ashish Sood, Kapil Mishra, Ravindra Indraraj, and Pankaj Kumar Singh, who had taken the oath alongside Rekha Gupta. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva was also present at the Yamuna Ghat. Amidst Vedic chants, the Yamuna Aarti was performed, with the Chief Minister folding her hands in prayer. Several senior BJP leaders and Delhi’s Lok Sabha MPs were also in attendance.

For the past 10 years, the AAP government had promised to clean the Yamuna River. However, despite two consecutive terms in power, the river remained polluted. This issue was prominently raised during the Delhi Assembly elections. Now, the newly elected BJP government has made Yamuna’s cleanliness one of its top priorities.