Delhi's newly sworn-in chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday showed his secular side when he invoked gods of all four major religions— Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism — thanking them for the "miracle" that brought him and his party to power.
At least thrice in his inaugural speech at the crowded Ramlila Maidan, he invoked divine blessings, thanking god for the Aam Aadmi Party's maiden electoral victory.
"I thank the Supreme Father, Ishwar, Allah, Waheguru," said Kejriwal, a self-proclaimed atheist till a few years back, soon after being sworn-in as Delhi's seventh chief minister.
"This victory is really a miracle, we could not even have thought two years back such a revolution would come that we would be able to uproot the corrupt parties and real democracy would be established," he said to cheers from the crowd.
"This victory is not because of us, it is a miracle, and I thank Bhagwan, Ishwar and Allah," he said. He again remembered god, seeking divine blessings to fulfill his responsibility.
"The way expectations of people of Delhi have raised, we feel scared at times. I pray to god... the results are not in our hands, but god may give us good sense, and courage so that we don't make any mistake knowingly or unknowingly," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"The way expectations of people of Delhi have raised, we feel scared at times. I pray to god... the results are not in our hands, but god may give us good sense, and courage so that we don't make any mistake knowingly or unknowingly," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Making another reference, he thanked god for the support the movement got from public.
"When Anna Hazare was fasting, people from all across the country came on streets. I wondered how it happened, it must have been a miracle of Bhagwan, Allah, Ishwar," he repeated.