Assuring aggrieved government employees, meeting political leaders showing interest in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and doing home work for the upcoming week of hectic activity starting Monday was how Delhi’s new chief minister Arvind Kejriwal spent his Sunday.
Continuing to battle his health front —Kejriwal has been suffering from a bad throat infection since last month — the one-day-old chief minister worked through Sunday albeit from his residence at Kaushambi in neighbouring Ghaziabad district (Uttar Pradesh).
On Monday, Kejriwal posted on Twitter, "Running 102 fever since yesterday. Severe loose motions. Sad that I won't be able to attend office today".
Kejriwal’s residence in Girnar Apartment saw a beeline of visitors through the day. He told visitors that he did not want to give false assurances to the people of Delhi and wanted 7-10 days time to put a system in place to address their problems and grievances. “I will accept your applications only when we have put a system in place to resolve your problems,” the AAP leader said.
Kejriwal’s residence in Girnar Apartment saw a beeline of visitors through the day. He told visitors that he did not want to give false assurances to the people of Delhi and wanted 7-10 days time to put a system in place to address their problems and grievances. “I will accept your applications only when we have put a system in place to resolve your problems,” the AAP leader said.
“We have just assumed power. It will take us some time … at least 7-10 days to put a system in place,” he told a gathering of visitors, including a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) employees and also those from the Valmiki community.
The contractual employees of DTC and municipal corporations had come to put forward their demand to end the contract system in their respective organisations, a promise made in the AAP manifesto. Scores of drivers and conductors from the DTC shouted slogans cheering their leader.
During the day, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Kamal Farooqui held a private meeting with Kejriwal. Traveling in a car with AAP leader Sanjay Singh after the meeting, Farooqui just said: “Every one is interested in joining AAP now-a-days” but did not make it clear if he was joining.
Earlier in the morning, a havan was held for Kejriwal’s health at a temple near his residence. He, however, did not attend it and instead his father Govind Ram attended it. The senior Kejriwal said he wanted his son’s health to improve and that he should also be able to fulfill promises made to the people. “His becoming the chief minister is people’s victory. My son has strong will power,” he said.
To a question if Kejriwal will become prime minister some day, his father said: “It is God’s decision who becomes the prime minister.” Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh police installed a door-frame metal detector (DFMD) at the main entrance of Girnar Apartments, deployed police personnel for round- the-clock duty and also stationed police vehicles to regulate the increased traffic in the street where Kejriwal lives.