Arvind Kejriwal in his office at the Delhi Secretariat
Anna Hazare, Gandhian activist and one-time mentor of
Arvind Kejriwal, spelled out his reasons for staying away from politics.
"I don't think getting into politics is a sin. But the money and power involved is the reason for my disdain for politics," Anna said at his village Ralegan Siddhi.
The 76-year-old, who has often expressed his differences with Mr Kejriwal publicly, however, said the new chief minister of Delhi can teach other political leaders a lesson.
"Arvind has been with me for so many years. If he really does good work, it will be a lesson for political people. If you want to do politics, such politics should be done. The spirit of serving the society should not vanish," Anna said.
On Saturday, Mr Kejriwal was sworn-in as Delhi's chief minister at the Ramlila Maidan, where he became a nationally-recognized figure in 2011 when he flanked Anna, who fasted for 16 days to demand the new anti-corruption law that has just been cleared by Parliament and births a national ombudsman or Lokpal.
Anna had sent an RSVP to Mr Kejriwal, saying he will not attend the oath-taking ceremony in Delhi. He and Mr Kejriwal split last year over the latter's decision to launch a political party.