Chetan Bhagat, Arvind Kejriwal's Tweet War On Delhi's Odd-Even Rule

New Delhi: Bestselling author Chetan Bhagat's spat with Arvind Kejriwal on Twitter today was an amusing sidelight in the debate on the odd-even formula to be enforced in Delhi from the New Year.

A bitter-tweet exchange began when the Delhi Chief Minister re-tweeted comments attacking Mr Bhagat for his critique of the odd-even rule, in which odd and even numbered cars will be allowed on alternate days.

The author, an IIT alumnus and a Mumbai resident, had been pummelled in tweets for mocking the possibility of women being kept out of the new rule in New Delhi.

Women exempt from odd-even rule. Soon, men in Delhi are going to wrap dupattas around their heads and driving their cars. Go Delhi go!

- Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) December 10, 2015

So odd-even rule doesn't apply to women only cars, for safety. Because men, you know, can never be robbed, attacked, feel unsafe or killed.

- Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) December 10, 2015

When the tweets were reposted by Arvind Kejriwal, Mr Bhagat was offended and did not hold back in saying so.

Dear CM, when you retweet trolls making personal attacks on me,you tacitly encourage them. And that's what they are doing right now. Thanks.

- Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) December 10, 2015

 Mr Bhagat is seen to have a running feud with Mr Kejriwal and other leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, which he once supported but later ridiculed as the "item girl of politics".

The Kejriwal government has said that it needs to cut down cars on the roads drastically to fight pollution in the capital, which is at an alarming level.