Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal speaking at the Q&A event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry on Tuesday. (Press Trust of India photo)
Arvind Kejriwal smiled when he said today that a sure-shot way to win publicity is to write a blog about him.
At a Q&A event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Delhi chief minister refused to comment on the political rebellion in his party. Or the charges made against him by senior party colleagues Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan - many of them in open letters - accusing Mr Kejriwal of being dictatorial and intolerant of criticism.
"Attacking Kejriwal gets people media coverage; anyone can stand up and abuse me or write a blog against me to make headlines... I will only talk about governance. It won't affect Delhi's governance," was all that the Delhi chief minister would say.
He answered questions on Delhi's air quality, security for women in the capital and other local issues, promising to get back on several questions.
The Delhi government had no tussle with the Centre he said, even as he pitched for a greater share for the national capital of the taxes it pays to the central government.
"We are not at loggerheards. We don't want to fight with anyone. Everyone has its own limits and rights. The Constitution has given responsibilities to everyone constituent. So, there will be a difference of opinion, which we will be sorted out," he said.
Asked to rate the first ten months of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Mr Kejriwal, said, "One has got that reply in the Delhi elections."
"In a democracy, it's people who assess performance. Their performance was evident during the Delhi assembly polls," the chief minister said, after initially refusing to comment.
Two months ago Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party vanquished Mr Modi's BJP in Delhi, winning 67 of the capital's 70. The BJP won only three. It was sweet victory for Mr Kejriwal who was virtually written off after his party's poor performance in the national elections of May last year.
Mr Kejriwal took on PM Modi in Varanasi and was comprehensively defeated.