Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. (Press Trust of India)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held his first 'janata darbar' (public meet) today, carrying on a tradition he had started during his first brief stint as CM in 2013-2014. Today's event was less chaotic than the earlier attempt, with over 1000 people being allowed to meet Mr Kejriwal and express their grievances and hand over petitions.
The event, which lasted for around three hours, was held at the Aam Aadmi Party's office in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad, the area where the chief minister currently resides. The prolonged darbar allowed Mr Kejriwal to interact with the people and give them a patient hearing. They were made to meet him in batches of 10-12 people. Others were asked to wait their turn so as to avoid the stampede that took place during his Janata Darbar in January, 2014.
This time, most were residents of Ghaziabad and a majority of the complaints related to complaints about the police, although many had come merely to meet the newly crowned chief minister and hand over bouquets of flowers. A large number also used the occasion to take selfies with the chief minister. The public interaction began at 10.00 am and carried on till 12.00 pm before Mr Kejriwal left the office for the day.