Kejriwal invites Anna to Secretariat, activist unlikely to make it

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Feb 24 2015 | 10:40 PM IST
Building on their just-revived bonhomie, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today invited Anna Hazare to the State Secretariat tomorrow to give a motivational talk to the MLAs and officials but the veteran activist is unlikely to make it.
Sources close to Hazare said that he is unlikely to visit the Secretariat tomorrow as farmer leaders are scheduled to meet him at the Maharashtra Sadan.
They, however, said that Hazare will think about going to to the secretariat soon.
Earlier, the sources had said that Hazare will visit Delhi Secretariat, housing offices of Chief Minister and other ministers, around 11 AM and have lunch with Kejriwal.
Kejriwal today shared the dais with Hazare during the latter's protest at Jantar Mantar against the controversial land ordinance and shared stage with the Gandhian, reflecting rapprochement between the two after their split three years ago.
Kejriwal in his address invited 77-year-old Hazare to the Secretariat and asked him to interact with legislators, ministers and officials.
"I have also come to request Annaji to come to Delhi Secretariat tomorrow for at least 10 minutes. If Annaji steps into our secretariat, it will become pious. I want Annaji to address all the Head of Departments and others. We all will get inspiration from you and we will get more energy to do good work," he said.
Wearing a grey shirt and blue v-necked sweater and minus his trademark muffler, Kejriwal initially was standing among the crowd in the front of the stage but was later hoisted by Anna supporters on to the stage, drawing a loud cheer from the crowd.
The AAP leader sat right next to the Gandhian and was seen interacting with people on the stage. Occasionally, he waved at the crowd as well.
Kejriwal and Hazare, the two most prominent faces of the Lokpal movement had fallen apart after Kejriwal decided to launch a political party in October 2012.
"We want him (Hazare) there, because his presence will connect bureaucrats, legislators and ministers and other members and functionaries to the Gandhian's thoughts, which so far has been missing," said Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba, who was among the AAP legislators present at the protest site.
Yesterday, Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Hazare's trusted lieutenants during the Lokpal movement, had met the activist at the Maharashtra Sadan here and extended support to the agitation led by him.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 24 2015 | 10:40 PM IST

Next Story