Arvind Kejriwal invites Anna Hazare to Delhi Secretariat

New Delhi: In a reverential gesture, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday invited activist Anna Hazare to the Government Secretariat on Wednesday and asked him to interact with legislators, ministers and officials through a motivational talk.

The AAP leader extended the invitation while sharing a stage with the Gandhian on Parliament Street during a protest against the land acquisition ordinance, evoking memories of the duo's camaraderie during the anti-graft movement of 2011.

"Tomorrow, if Annaji comes to Delhi Secretariat, his presence only will purify the place. I want him to come there and interact, at least for 10 minutes, with different members and officials of the government. It will guide us all," Kejriwal said.

Wearing a grey shirt and blue v-necked sweater and minus his trademark muffler, Kejriwal initially was standing among the crowd in the front of the stage but was later hoisted by Anna supporters on to the stage, drawing a loud cheer from the crowd.

The AAP leader sat right next to the 77-year-old Gandhian and was seen interacting with people on the stage. Occasionally, he waved at the crowd as well. Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba, who was among the AAP legislators present at the protest site, said the idea was to "connect bureaucracy with an veteran activist's vision of India".

"We want him there, because his presence will connect bureaucrats, legislators and ministers and other members and functionaries to the Gandhian's thoughts, which so far has been missing," she said.

Sporting the AAP cap, Lamba, who upstaged sitting Congress MLA Prahlad Singh Sahni in the polls, when asked if Hazare had accepted the government's invite, said, "We have invited Annaji to the Assembly tomorrow. It is up to him to respond to it. But, his presence at the Secretariat will definitely benefit all."

Senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav also joined the Gandhian briefly on stage.

Kejriwal and Hazare, the two most prominent faces of the Lokpal movement had fallen apart after Kejriwal decided to launch a political party in October 2012.

On Monday, Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Hazare's trusted lieutenants during the Lokpal movement, had met the activist at the Maharashtra Sadan here and extended support to the agitation led by him.

This agitation did in a way served as a point of reunion for the young leader and the veteran activist.

Slamming the Modi government over the land ordinance, the Delhi Chief Minister said interests of the poor and farmers must be protected and assured the gathering that compensation as per market rates will be given to anyone for land in Delhi.

"If we want to develop this nation, then we have to take the public along. We cannot do by running bulldozer over them. Then the public will run the bulldozer over you," he said.

Calling Hazare his "guru" and someone like his father, Kejriwal said he supports the Gandhian's movement with "heart and soul".

"I want to tell Annaji that I always consider him my guru, someone like my father, and I want to say Annaji that we are with you and support this movement with our heart and soul.

"If the government wants to do development, if we want to open schools, build hospitals, if we want to build metro, if we want to give facilities, I've seen that public will willingly give their land," he said.

The Chief Minister called the compensation prescribed in the law as "betrayal".

"What they are claiming to be four times the rate is actually a betrayal. Just now someone told me that in Meerut, the circle rate is Rs 2,000, the market rate is Rs 20,000.

These people say they will pay 4-times which will be Rs 8,000 while the market rate is Rs 20,000. This is betrayal, the entire law is betrayal," he said.

Earlier, Kejriwal waited for sometime near the stage at the protest venue as Hazare had said politicians will not be allowed to share the dais. But the Delhi Chief Minister was welcomed to the stage where he sat next to Hazare.

A number of AAP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and almost all party MLAs, participated in the protest. The Delhi Chief Minister had called on Hazare at the Maharashtra Sadan last evening.

Hazare started his two-day protest yesterday. He had said a 'jail bharo' movement will be launched from the Ramlila Ground after holding "padyatra" across the country for three-four months against the land ordinance.