Atishi, a young leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is expected to take over as the Chief Minister of Delhi after Arvind Kejriwal. She is currently serving as the Education Minister of Delhi. While Atishi is known for her calm and gentle personality, as well as her dedication to grassroots work, her name, caste, and religion have been the subject of much controversy, keeping her in the spotlight for a long time. Over the years, her name has changed multiple times—Atishi Marlena Singh, Atishi Singh, Atishi Marlina, and simply Atishi. Additionally, she has been labeled as Christian, Kshatriya, and Rajput. Let’s understand her real caste and religion and the story behind her changing names.
Atishi’s Background
Atishi was born on June 8, 1981, in Delhi. In 2019, during a press conference, she clarified that she is a Punjabi Rajput. She said, “I come from a Punjabi Hindu family. I am Kshatriya. My last name (Marlena) was inspired by Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. My parents gave me this surname because they were inclined toward leftist ideology.” Atishi also shared that her father’s name is Vijay Singh and her husband’s name is Praveen Singh.
Why Did Atishi Drop the ‘Marlena’ Surname?
In 2018, Atishi removed the surname ‘Marlena’ from all her social media platforms and promotional materials. After this move, some leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused her of being Christian. In response to these claims, Atishi said, “Since the BJP is trying to polarize the elections, I want to stop this.” That’s why she stopped using the surname ‘Marlena’ and started using just ‘Atishi.’ The AAP later said this was a personal decision.
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Using the Real Surname ‘Singh’ Was a Strategic Move
Political experts believe that Atishi’s decision to use her real surname, ‘Singh,’ might have been a strategic move. In the Kalkaji area of Delhi, there is a large Punjabi population, and using the ‘Singh’ surname could have been a way to quietly attract this voter base.
Atishi’s Changing Names Over Time
- At first, Atishi used the surname ‘Singh,’ as her father’s name is Vijay Singh.
- Later, due to her parents’ leftist ideology, she adopted the surname ‘Marlena,’ which was inspired by Karl Marx and Lenin.
- After getting married, she used the name ‘Atishi Marlena Singh’ for a while, as her husband also has the surname ‘Singh.’
- Due to controversies, Atishi eventually dropped ‘Marlena’ and now simply uses ‘Atishi’ without any surname.
In short, Atishi’s journey with her name and identity reflects a mix of personal, political, and strategic choices.