New Delhi:
Activist Arvind Kejriwal is launching his political party in Delhi today, a decision which led to a parting of ways with his mentor, Anna Hazare.
After a flurry of speeches by his supporters, Mr Kejriwal took to the stage only post 3pm.
Highlights of his speech.
-- We had to do this, to clean up the Parliament.
-- People say we will lose. But like Krishna guides Arjuna in the Gita to just fight, we too will fight.
-- We have to face our children, they will ask us why didn't we do anything for our country.
-- I do not know whether we will win or lose but if I do not fight today my children will accuse me of wasting an opportunity.
-- If we lose, our children will carry the fight forward
-- Lal Bahadur Shastri fought elections, was he power-hungry?
-- This is not my party. This is a party of the people of this country. People fed up of corruption, people who came to Ramlila ground
-- Why did I need to form a party? This is the people's party.
-- Our politics is to unite the country.
-- The thinking is to fix the system. We are not going into politics to fix people, but to fix the system.
-- I was telling my colleagues that if we go in, we have to deliver in 10-15 days otherwise this system will get you.
-- The government must ask people before taking decisions.
-- We have to change the system where everyone who comes into power becomes greedy. We don't want to change the faces, we want to change the system. We have to change the system within 10-15 days. I used to work in the I-T dept. I know how it works.
-- Democracy is when the people rule the country. We want democracy.
-- There is a slum in Delhi where there is no sewer, no school. In that area, the government made fountains worth 80 lakh there. But they don't run because there is no water. They say there is no money but they have money for fountains. They don't have LPG subsidy but they have enough for CWG. We didn't want the CWG. In Brazil, there is a town where the people make the budget, not the parliament. Why should the budget be made in the assembly?
-- In Switzerland, if 50 thousand people ask for a law, they have to table it. The people can change the constitution there. We have been asking for Lokpal for the past 1.5 yrs. They say people are not sensible. But there are illiterates in parliament.
-- We had announced a party on August 3. On 26, we gheraoed politicians' houses. That was an andolan. We will continue an andolan only. This is another way to do that.
-- Sheila Dikshit has to reduce the electricity and water costs in Delhi. This is wrong. They should not have increased costs. These companies have been making huge profits. There was an order saying that costs should be reduced by 23%. Sheila Dikshit stopped that order. Is this not corruption? CAG should do an audit. And after that audit, the people will decide if bills should go up or not.
-- On October 7, at 3 pm in 114 municipal wards, people will burn bills again. We will do a dharna there too. If by 3rd November, she doesn't reduce costs, we will gherao her house on November 4. We challenge them to try to cut the electricity of anyone in Delhi. I will come and restore your electricity. We are ready to go to jail for this.
-- On price hike, all parties did a bharat bandh. Did it have any effect? All these political parties are doing "drama". Nothing happens. We are going to take our struggle till the end.
-- On the November 6, we will reveal corruption charges we have against two very important people in this country. We have a lot of evidence against them.
-- We want India to improve. We are very stubborn. We will not rest till corruption is eradicated. There is a
dharam yudh now in this country. Everyone has to take sides. No one can stay quiet.
-- Our country has become a nation of VIPs. Now there will be only one VIP in this country. The
aam aadmi. This cap gives us respect. I will wear this for the rest of my life.
-- There are many who love and respect me. They touch my feet which is not right. You should hug me but don't touch my feet, that is the culture of BJP and the Congress. No garlands as well. I don't want to become a VIP. If you see me doing something wrong, please tell me, I will set it right.
-- Media has helped us a lot. The scams have been unearthed because of the media. There is a rumour that a story will come out after 3 days that I have met Congress leaders and they will give me 20 lakhs. And Sheila Dikshit will reduce costs after our
andolan which will go against the BJP. This is all false.
-- On November 26, we will announce the name of the party. We will meet here or at Jantar Mantar and will make the announcement again.
-- After 30 years, we have got this opportunity. If we lose this, we will have to wait another 30 yrs.
-- If you have a complaint against us, tell us. Share the stage with us. If you feel BJP or Congress will give the country a future, vote for them. But if you feel that neither can do this, speak up. Otherwise your children will not forgive you.