Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Friday that the speciality of mangoes is that it is aam (common) - pun intended. The leader was attending a mango festival in the national capital when he made the comment drawing chuckles from his audience. He said since he was from the Aam Aadmi Party, nothing could be closer to him than the aam (mango) itself.
Mr Sisodia was speaking after inaugurating the 30th Mango Festival at Delhi Haat, Janakpuri. He said, "While eating, no other fruit, be it a banana or an orange, can make you exclaim 'wow'. Only mango is a fruit that can make you say 'wah'. There would be hardly any family which doesn't eat mangoes these days".
The AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015, pitching itself as a pro-people party. It has been at loggerheads with the centre and the lieutenant governor. In a massive relief for the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Lt Governor had no independent decision-making powers beyond land, police and public order.
Lauding the festival, Mr Sisodia said it was a chance to see the variety of the "king of the fruit". "On one hand, a mango is so small that it resembles a marble and on the other one weighs 1,660 grams can also be found here. Here you can have fun by watching mangoes and also eating them," he added.
In the three-day mango festival, people can see and buy mangoes of over 500 varieties, including Alphonso, Amrapali, Langra, Chausa, Rataul, Hussainara, Ramkela, Kesar, Fazri and Mallika.
Manish Sisodia invited everyone to come with their families and enjoy the festival
Mr Sisodia, who was in a jovial mood, said the mangoes looked liked an artistic piece by a child with perfect pencil strokes. "The nature has taken all its time to create these beautiful mangoes whereas some mangoes also look like they've been made in haste," he said jokingly.
Mr Sisodia invited everyone to come with their families and enjoy the festival.
"Whenever we are sad, we just find a corner and don't speak to anybody, but when we are happy, we are unable to keep ourselves from sharing the joy with others. I am sure the same will happen today. You will take a lot of selfies and share them on social media, either to tease your friends or to invite them," he said.
A host of other activities would be organised during these three days -- mango-eating competition for men (July 8) and women (July 7); mango-themed quiz and slogan writing competition for children; band performances; stand-up comedy besides cultural performances.
With inputs from PTI
For more Delhi news, click here
Delhi Man Stabbed 8 Times By Group Of Minors Over Road Rage IAS Officer Dharmendra Appointed Chief Secretary Of Delhi Government Delhi High Court Dismisses Petition Against Nitish Kumar's Election As JDU President INDIA's "Hit With Footwear" Protest In Mumbai Over Shivaji Statue Collapse Celebrated "Russian Spy" Whale Hvaldimir Found Dead In Norway: Report Nurse Molested By Patient During Late Night Shift At West Bengal Hospital Video: Vadodara Animal Rescuers Tripling On Scooter - With A Crocodile Ukrainian Drones Target Oil Refinery, Power Plants In Moscow, Says Russia Bollywood Romance Is Dead. Long Live Action! Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.