Arvind Kejriwal reaffirms AAP’s commitment to Delhi at swearing-in

Kejriwal showcased the AAP brand of politics for a wider, national audience

Arvind Kejriwal affirms AAP’s commitment to Delhi at swearing-in Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal addresses the crowd at Ramlila Maidan after taking oath as Delhi CM | AP

Taking oath as chief minister of Delhi for the third time, Arvind Kejriwal addressed the people of the national capital from the historic Ramlila Maidan, his carefully crafted speech not only reaffirming the Aam Aadmi Party's commitment to continuing the much-talked about subsidy-driven initiatives for Delhiites, but also showcasing the AAP brand of politics for a wider, national audience.

“All the precious things in this world are free. Just like the love of a mother for her child is free, and the love of Shravan Kumar for his parents was free, the love of Kejriwal for the people of Delhi and the love of the people of Delhi for Kejriwal is free,” Kejriwal said in his speech shortly after taking oath as chief minister.

Kejriwal, whose party registered a remarkable landslide victory of 62 out of 70 seats, which is even more noteworthy since it followed up on the party's astonishing score of 67 seats in the 2015 elections, spoke in a statesman-like manner as he said he was everybody's chief minister, be it a BJP voter or a Congress voter or a supporter of some other party. He called upon his political rivals to move beyond their differences and work together.

Having been at loggerheads with the Centre for a large part of the previous tenure, Kejriwal demonstrated the strategic shift in his politics, saying he wanted to work with the Centre to make Delhi the number one city in the world. He mentioned that he had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony, but he could not since he had other engagements. He also sought the blessings of Modi in his endeavour to bring about greater development in Delhi.

Referring to the attacks made by the BJP on him during the extremely bitter election campaign, when he was dubbed 'anti-Hindu' and even called a terrorist, Kejriwal said he had forgiven his political opponents for those remarks.

In what was an apparent outreach to a larger audience beyond Delhi, he said the people in the national capital could now call up their near and dear ones in their native village to tell them that their son had become chief minister again.

In a clear bid to showcase the Delhi government's initiatives before a national audience, he said, “A new form of politics has begun, which focuses on good education, security, healthcare, good roads, cheap electricity and security for women.”

Kejriwal talked about the impact of the initiatives taken by Delhi government in other parts of the country and said that “this new kind of politics of cheap electricity and good education” was now being pursued by other state governments.

“The people of Delhi have worked wonders. The whole country is talking about you. When someone in the country says that schools cannot be improved, or that hospitals cannot be made better, people promptly say look at Delhi,” Kejriwal said.

He narrated a poem, which was part of the AAP's manifesto also, which was about education, healthcare, security and respect for women and cheap electricity. The verse also stressed that only when everyone moves above religion and caste to work for the progress of the country will the tricolour sway with pride.

Kejriwal said it was his dream that India will one day be held in high regard all over the world, from London to Tokyo to Africa to America.

Dedicating the electoral victory to the people of Delhi, he made a special mention of some of the denizens who shared stage with him. Called ‘Dilli ke Nirmata’ at the function, they represented different sections of the society.

The chief minister wrapped up his speech with the song, ‘Hum Honge Kamyaab’ (We shall overcome), asking the people who had gathered at the Ramlila Maidan to witness the swearing-in, to sing with him. In the 2015 oath-taking ceremony, Kejriwal had sung ‘Insaan ka insaan se ho bhaichara’ (there should be a feeling of fraternity amongst human beings).