AAP has to give good govt in Delhi, change the system: Kejriwal

Bengaluru: As he battles turbulence within his party, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday sent out a message to his party that it has to give a good government in Delhi and change the system.

Breaking his silence ever since the turmoil broke out with ugly public spat among its leaders, Kejriwal said "...Now we have to move forward from here and if we present Delhi as a model then I feel that it will give rise to a new kind of politics in this country and in this world."

"I strongly fight on this issue within the party. Everyone says now that we have won Delhi we will win others as well. Are we a Napoleon who are on the victory march?" the AAP leader, who is undergoing nature cure treatment at a naturopathy institute on city outskirts, said.

Kejriwal's remarks came at an informal cultural event at Jindal Nature Cure Institute where the 46-year old AAP leader was admitted on March five for a 10-day nature cure treatment for his persistent chronic cough problem and uncontrolled sugar level.

"We have to change the system, so we will have to give a good government and a good system in Delhi and if Delhi changes I have a belief that whole country will change."

"We want you guys to give us your ideas and all of you to participate in this," he told the gathering as he also joined them in singing a song as part of "Antakshari" programme. 

Kejriwal's remarks are seen as a clear message to the party to focus on providing good governance in Delhi, as AAP, gripped by infighting, is struggling to battle internal crisis and stave off the damaging fall-out to its public image.

The simmering rift flared up with AAP's founding members Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan being ousted from the party's Political Affairs Committee.

Ever since then, the wranglings have taken murkier turns with sting operations by detractors of Kejriwal with allegations of attempts to poach six Congress MLAs to form the government last year, following which its prominent Mumbai face Anjali Damania quit the party.

Making matters worse, Kejriwal has come under fire in public from Yadav and Bhushan who have openly questioned his style of functioning and "unilateral" decisions taken by him.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal's sugar level and cough are under control, a senior doctor treating him said.

"The sugar level and cough of Kejriwal are under control. He is absolutely fine and ready for discharge," Dr Babina Nandakumar, Chief Medical Officer at Jindal Nature Cure Institute on city outskirts, told PTI. Kejriwal is ready for discharge on March 16, she added.

Kejriwal is being treated with all prescribed therapies and massages and his diet consists of juices, kashayas, chapatis, soups and cooked vegetables, she said.

The AAP leader is staying in an accommodation with two bedrooms, a hall and a treatment room, called "Nest" at the Institute, a specialty charitable naturopathy and yoga hospital in an eco-friendly campus of 100 acres.

A set of four senior doctors, including an acupuncturist, physiotherapist and a yoga officer, are taking care of Kejriwal.

The AAP chief's parents also are undergoing naturopathy treatment. His father is suffering from constipation and mother from diabetes and arthritis.