New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been locked in a power tussle with Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, on Sunday said that there was no “hard feelings” between them and that the “sour relationship” should end to ensure effective governance and development in the national capital.
Kejriwal made the comments on the sidelines of an Iftar event hosted by him which was attended by Jung along with the likes of Vice President Hamid Ansari, former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Police Commissioner BS Bassi and Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit.
“Sour relationship should go away because, anyway, there are no hard feelings as such. Everybody is doing their work.
If we work together, only then will the country progress,” he said. The chief minister was responding to a question on whether his relationship with Jung would improve in the coming days.
Earlier, Kejriwal embraced Jung with a warm hug after the latter was ushered in by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, much to the delight of the media at the venue in Central Delhi’s Chanakyapuri.
The duo have been involved in a protracted tussle over several issues since the AAP government assumed office, including over the control of the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Delhi government.
Incidentally, at the event, Kejriwal was seen engrossed in a chat with TMC MP Derek O’Brien.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had tweeted on saturday her acceptance of Kejriwal’s invite to which the Delhi chief minister had responded saying, “@MamataOfficial Thank u Mamta Di. I wish u cud come. We will miss u.”
Kejriwal said he had invited leaders cutting across the political spectrum, unlike other “VIP Iftars”.
“VIP iftars are of one type and our iftar of the other. Even VIPs felt good about the presence of common people at the event. We had called people cutting across party lines, including BJP, Congress, JD(U), TMC,” he said.
Kejriwal took turns in sitting beside Mr Ansari, Ms Dikshit and Mr Jung at the elaborate setting, where a sumptuous spread was on
offer for the visitors.
Apart from Basit, a number of other diplomats also attended the iftar, as did all the Delhi Ministers, a bunch of AAP leaders and representatives from the minority community.
“Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christians. Everyone will have to work together. The message of love is the same in Gita, Quran, Bible and the Guru Granth Sahib,” Kejriwal said in his message to the people.