Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas M. Veerappa Moily on Saturday described Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal as a “wild elephant let loose”, and alleged that he did not understand even basic law.
Asked whether the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Delhi had adopted different yardsticks by filing an FIR against him following directions from Mr. Kejriwal on the gas price issue, but declining to act against Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde with respect to an alleged case of graft, Mr. Moily said: “I don’t know.”
AllegationsHe maintained that the allegations on which the FIR had been filed against him were actually the allegations against the Cabinet.
“It is not my decision [on gas pricing],” he said and termed the allegations baseless.
When pointed out that the power tariff reduction announced by Mr. Kejriwal for Delhi residents would end on March 30 as funds had not been earmarked for the purpose, Mr. Moily said, “Mr. Kejriwal is trying to fool everybody, including democracy.”
The Union Minister said, “He thinks that he is the only brainy fellow. I was told that even during Cabinet meetings, he was asking his colleagues to allow only him to think. This is what he wants to apply to the entire country. Perhaps he wants all of us to pledge our brains only with him. I don’t know how people elected him?”
Referring to the move to take the ordinance route to get clearances for six pending anti-corruption bills, he said it was being considered because of the initiative taken by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to complement the Lok Pal legislation with provisions for protecting whistle blowers.
Meanwhile, Governor H. R. Bhardwaj has observed that the Congress was not the same as it was earlier and it had witnessed fall in standards. He accused the BJP of behaving in an irresponsible way.
Describing Mr. Kejriwal as leader of an NGO, he said people had supported him and brought him to power to fight corruption.
But he could not do much as he abruptly stepped down, he said.
Referring to the questionable behaviour of the MPs in the Lok Sabha, he said, “We need to improve our standards so that people respect us. Such an act of cutting down the business in Parliament will not only affect its performance, but also will make the country to suffer.”
