Kejriwal ends first darbar amid chaos

• Stampede-like situation at Janata Darbar
• Cops escort Arvind Kejriwal out to safety
• Ministers, too, leave quickly after him
• Kejriwal says he left to avoid stampede
• Huge disappointment to massive crowds

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s first Janata Darbar on Saturday ended in chaos. Kejriwal, who refused police protection, was finally escorted out by the Delhi Police, as a stampede-like situation developed. The AAP leader apologized for mishandling the situation and promised to work out a system for holding smoothly the Darbar. Kejriwal said, “We will have to improve the arrangements. If I had not left the place, then there was a possibility of a stampede. Everybody wanted to meet me. We will streamline the system, so that a similar situation does not recur. We will improve the system. I will sit with the officers and make necessary arrangements.

Delhi Police was forced to take Kejriwal away from the site. However, his Cabinet colleagues – Rakhi Birla, Somnath Bharti and Saurabh Bhardwaj – collected the grievances addressed to the Delhi Government. The opening of the VIP Gate at the Delhi Secretariat for the common man was an election promise, which Kejriwal fulfilled. It instantly resulted in the opening of the floodgates, as the security personnel were outnumbered by the people. The people were left high and dry, as the Chief Minister and the Cabinet Ministers quietly left the venue. The Janata Darbar could not be held and the people, who turned up in their hundreds since early morning, were all left disappointed.

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said: “For God's sake, Arvind and Team, Secretariats are not run from rooftops! Please take time to listen/absorb! And then take considered decisions!” Kiran Bedi went on to say that governance demands solid maturity. Governance demands solid governance plus administration. Secretariat is not meant for street show, she said.

“Leadership, which opts to preside over destiny of millions is for delivering with comprehensive understanding, not learning at people’s cost,” she said.

Delhi BJP President Vijay Goel slammed Arvind Kejriwal. “He did not make arrangements.

Just for the sake of populism, people were called, but there was no Darbar.” Vijay Goel appealed to Kejriwal not to create parallel systems but to use existing systems to make the administration corruption-free. Instead, with eye on polls, Kejriwal is doing all this for populism, to gain cheap popularity.

He is doing it for elections and not for the sake of the people, he said.

Challenging Kejriwal to act against former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Goel said Kejriwal compromised on the issue of corruption just to remain in power.