Atishi's parents had close ties with SAR Geelani: AAP MP Swati Maliwal

New Delhi [India], September 18 : AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Wednesday alleged that Delhi Chief Minister-designate Atishi's parents had close ties with SAR Geelani who was an accused in the 2001 Parliament attack case but later acquitted by the Supreme Court.
"Atishi Marlena's parents had close ties with SAR Geelani. Gilani was accused of having a hand in the attack on Parliament. In 2016, he organised a programme in the memory of Afzal Guru at the Press Club of Delhi," Maliwal said in a post on X.
"Atishi Marlena's parents were with Gilani on stage in that programme. Slogans were raised in this programme - "If one Afzal dies, lakhs will be born.", "Kashmir demands freedom". Atishi Marlena's parents have written an article titled "Arrest and torture of Syed Geelani". God protect Delhi!" she added.
On Tuesday, after Atishi was elected as leader of the AAP Legislature Party, Maliwal alleged that Atishi's parents had written mercy petitions to cancel the death sentence of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
"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 the death penalty," Maliwal said.
"Her parents wrote mercy petitions to the President several times, that he is innocent, that he should not be hanged, that he is a victim of political conspiracy. How wrong is this? Today, Atishi will become the CM but we all know that she will be only a "dummy CM". Still, this is a major issue because she will be the CM and this matter is directly linked to the security of the country as well as Delhi. God save the people of Delhi from such a CM."
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday met Lt Governor VK Saxena and tendered his resignation as the Chief Minister of Delhi.
Senior AAP leader and minister Atishi, who was chosen by the party legislators to be the next Chief Minister, met LG Saxena to stake claim to the post.
Speaking to the media after meeting the Lt Governor, Atishi said, "This is the first time in the democratic history of the world that a Chief Minister has decided that the decision of the Supreme Court is not enough for him. Until the court of the people gives its verdict, he will not sit on the Chief Minister's chair."
"The people of Delhi want to see Arvind Kejriwal ji as the Chief Minister, so they have vowed to make him win in the next elections too. The whole of Delhi is saddened by Kejriwal's resignation," she added.
Atishi's name was proposed by Kejriwal at the meeting of the legislature party, and it was unanimously accepted by the AAP MLAs. Sources said there would be no Deputy Chief Minister and Atishi, who represents the Kalkaji constituency, would take oath during a special Assembly session on September 26-27.