Kiran Bedi with Anna Hazare at Ralegan Siddhi
Former IPS officer and activist Kiran Bedi slammed
Arvind Kejriwal today for the chaos that erupted at the Delhi Chief Minister's 'janta darbar'. Ms Bedi criticised Mr Kejriwal's lack of "mature" governance and said such meetings should not happen on the streets or the rooftops.
"For God's sake,Arvind and Team,Secretariats are not run from Roof Tops! Pl take time to listen/absorb! And then take considered decisions!(sic)," Ms Bedi tweeted.
"Public hearings are part of good governance but there is a method to it, there is a purpose and there is a place for it. Therefore, I think that is all about mature governance, it is also about experienced governance, that is what I think is lacking," the former IPS officer later said.
Mr Kejriwal's first janta darbar as Chief Minister went haywire today after hundreds walked to the public meeting outside the sprawling Delhi Secretariat throwing the security off guard. Mr Kejriwal was whisked away from the site after the crowd became unmanageable.
"There could have been stampede had I not left 'janta darbar'. Better arrangement is needed next time," said Mr Kejriwal, who was refused to take security since the time he took oath two weeks ago, but has asked for help from the police to control the crowds at public meetings and rallies. (
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Two days ago, Ms Bedi, who had campaigned with Mr Kejriwal for the Jan Lokpal movement as part of activist Anna Hazare's 'Indian Against Corruption' group in 2011, openly endorsed Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. "For me it's India First! Stable, Well Governed, Administered, Accountable and Inclusive. As a an independent voter,my vote is for NaMo (sic)," she tweeted. Ms Bedi also said the nation needs 'experienced hands" in 2014.
Ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi, Mr Kejriwal had offered Ms Bedi to join his Aam Aadmi Party and fight the assembly elections as the party's chief ministerial candidate. Ms Bedi declined the offer. Three months later, AAP made a spectacular debut in Delhi, winning 28 of the 70 seats, and eventually went on to form the government with support from the Congress.