A bit of humor on Kejriwal - tOI

Compare Kejriwal to a shanty or loo, not the Taj: Aam Aadmi

Aam Aadmi Party supporters were left wondering on Saturday whether they will have to pay for a glimpse of the elusive chief of the fledgling party, Arvind Kejriwal, after senior AAP leader Ashutosh compared him to the Taj Mahal.

The monumental controversy started right after Ashutosh tweeted earlier this week: Questioning organisational competence of Arvind Kejriwal is like questioning beauty of Taj Mahal. It is he who created Anna Movement and AAP.

"Kejriwal hasn't been seen in his constituency for months now. Drawing such analogies might make him act pricey," said Sharmila Pathak, a resident of New Delhi area. Others were left wondering if they would need to buy tickets now. "What if we are asked to pay to venture near the Taj of AAP?" asked Bhopu Lal, an autorickshaw driver who said he nurtured the dream of slapping the leader. He rued how AAP had now taken away the privilege of free slapping, one of the few benefits enjoyed by the common man in these days of high inflation.

Rivals have turned on the heat on the party. But party insiders coughed into this reporter's ear that such heated situation is to Kejriwal's liking as he has contracted a cold again. The Left, which has been left out in the race in Delhi, was the first to hit out hammer and sickle. "Such a comment by a senior leader exposes the elitist mindset of the party that claims to defend the common man's cause. There were lot of labour law violations in the construction of the Taj Mahal. If AAP is so pro-poor, they should have compared Kejriwal to a shanty or a congested loo instead," said Lal Kalam of the Communista Party of India (Fascist).

The Congress used the opportunity again to call AAP a B-team of the BJP. "Like BJP, which is used to usurping national leaders, AAP has now seized a national monument. This proves beyond doubt that AAP is nothing but a B-team of the BJP," said senior Congress leader Fairand Lovely.

But the happiest lot seem to be the tour operators in the national Capital. They are planning to include Kejriwal's 'darshan' in the itinerary of foreign tourists thereby earning a few extra bucks. "We are planning to market him as the eighth wonder of the medieval world," said Flee Singh Gill of Ghumo & Phiro.

The biggest challenge would be in Kejri spotting. But the ingenious operators are prepared for it too. "We will be using Jan Lokpal posters and clean roads for dharnas to lure him out of his hiding," Gill said with a chuckle. more