Atishi appointed new education minister of Delhi

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi has been appointed as the new education minister of Delhi. The leader took oath as the minister today in front of Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal and lieutenant governor of Delhi, VK Saxena. Along with education, Atishi will handle PWD, power, and transport departments. Notably, she is the first woman minister in the AAP cabinet.

Atishi was an advisor of Sisodia in his education portfolio. Her name was forwarded for appointment as minister after deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia resigned from his Cabinet post. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the now-scrapped excise policy relating to the sale of alcohol.

President Droupadi Murmu earlier accepted the resignation of Sisodia. LG Saxena had recommended the names of Atishi to President Murmu for appointment as Cabinet minister following a recommendation from Kejriwal for their elevation to the Cabinet. Atishi will be attending the Delhi Assembly's budget session commencing from March 17 as minister.

Sisodia was arrested after nearly eight hours of questioning on various aspects of the excise policy for 2021-22, which the probe agency says suffered from irregularities both in its formulation and implementation, allegedly intended to benefit people with links to the AAP.

The CBI investigators were not satisfied with Sisodia's answers, an agency official said, adding he was not cooperating in the investigation and avoided clarifications sought on crucial points. "He gave evasive replies and did not cooperate in the investigation despite being confronted with evidence to the contrary. Therefore, he has been arrested," the CBI said in a statement.