Swati Maliwal claims Atishi's family organised event in memory of Afzal Guru

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Swati Maliwal made a fresh jab at Chief Minister-designate Atishi on Tuesday by claiming that her family was close to the late Delhi University professor Syed Abdul Rahman Geelani, who was acquitted by the Supreme Court of charges related to the 2001 Parliament attack after being given a death sentence by a special court.

According to an AAP MP, Atishi's parents participated in a 2016 memorial event for Afzal Guru, who was found guilty in the 2001 Parliament attack case, at the Delhi Press Club. Maliwal claims that Syed Abdul Rahman Gilani and Atishi's parents organised the event.

There were slogans calling for the independence of Kashmir and glorifying Afzal Guru, such as “If one Afzal dies, lakhs will be born,” claimed Rajya Sabha MP, India Today reported.

Maliwal claimed that Atish's parents had written an article titled "Arrest and Torture of Syed Geelani." The Rajya Sabha MP additionally posted screenshots of the item on her official X account, captioning it, "God help Delhi."

Earlier on Tuesday, Maliwal criticised the AAP's choice of Atishi to be Delhi's new chief minister, claiming that her family had campaigned to stop the hanging of Afzal Guru. Afzal Guru, who was found guilty of his involvement in the 2001 attack on the Parliament, was executed in 2013.

Arvind Kejriwal resigned from the top position after Delhi Minister Atishi pipped Kailash Gahlot to become the next chief minister of Delhi on Tuesday. At the legislature party gathering, Kejriwal suggested Atishi's name, and the AAP MLAs unanimously accepted it.

The 43-year-old, who was born in Delhi to parents professors Vijay Kumar Singh and Tripta Wahi, began her political career with the AAP in 2013. She gained recognition after participating in the Jal Satyagraha in the Madhya Pradesh district of Khandwa in 2015.