New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today appeared to suggest that Navjot Singh Sidhu becoming the face of AAP in Punjab would be premature even as he admired the “courage” of the BJP leader for quitting from the Rajya Sabha.
On the possibility of Sidhu being projected as the AAP’s Chief Ministerial candidate in the Punjab polls next year, Kejriwal commented, “Aisa kuch nahi hai.” (There’s nothing of that sort yet.)
“He has just resigned from the Rajya Sabha seat and I think all good people should resign from the BJP. I admire his courage,” the Delhi Chief Minister said.
When reminded about Sidhu’s criticism of him in the past, Kejriwal said “That’s not an issue. But whoever joins the AAP has to become a common man first.”
The Delhi Chief Minister was speaking at the launch of ‘Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party’, authored by Pran Kurup, his IIT Kharagpur batchmate, at the Constitution Club here.
Asked what if Sidhu wants to join AAP. Kejriwal called him a “nice” man, adding “definitely the party (AAP) should give it a thought.”
Sidhu had yesterday resigned from Rajya Sabha just three months after his nomination to the Upper House by the Modi government. Sources in the AAP said he would join the party soon and may be made the party’s face in the assembly elections next year.
The Chief Minister said that Delhi’s governance “suffers” because those who did not get votes, got three seats, are trying to interfere in Delhi’s affairs from the “backdoor”.
“It does not suffer because of me going to Goa or Punjab. They say Kejriwal does not have right to suspend officers. Now if an officer is taking a bribe I would not be able to suspend him or send him to jail. Delhi suffers because they stop all small and big initiatives taken by us,” he said.
Kejriwal wondered in jest as to whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will let him work if “I take back my psychopath comment”.
PTI