'Azadi Ke Shaheedon Ke Naam': Gopal Rai Sworn In As Delhi Minister, Remembering Sacrifice Of Freedom Fighters

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday took oath as the chief minister of Delhi for the third consecutive time. While Kejriwal and five others of his cabinet ministers took oath in the name of 'God', Gopal Rai, who is a post-graduate in Sociology from Lucknow University and an MLA from Babarpur, sworn-in remembering the sacrifice of freedom fighters. Interestingly, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, who was administed the oath taking ceremony didn’t interrupted the minister either.

Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Imran Hussain, Rajendra Pal Gautam, Kailash Gahlot and Gopal Rai took oath as council of ministers in the newly-sworn Delhi Cabinet on Sunday at the Ramlila Maidan. In a near-repeat performance of 2015, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, which was floated in November 2012, retained power with a scintillating win in the just-concluded Delhi Assembly polls, trouncing its main rival BJP and completely decimating the Congress in a keenly-watched battle that took place in the midst of anti-CAA protests.

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As the AAP bagged 62 out of the 70 seats, leaders cutting across party lines, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Naveen Patnaik (BJD) and MK Stalin (DMK) had congratulated Kejriwal for the victory. For bureaucrat-turned-politician who will assume the post of Delhi chief minister for the third time, the Ramlila Maidan holds special significance as it had served as his battleground during the Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption movement.