Arvind Kejriwal-anchor chat stokes controversy

NEW DELHI: In an incident that could prove to be highly embarrassing for Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, footage of an informal interaction with news channel Aaj Tak's anchor during an interview surfaced on Sunday and went viral on the social media. The footage, shot partly during a break in the interview and partly at the end, shows Kejriwal asking the anchor to play down some statements on corporates as it could upset the middle class and play up the ones that claim 80% of people are on the margins.

Kejriwal's comments have put a question mark over his real stand on privatization. Addressing members of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) recently, Kejriwal had said he was not against private business. However, as chief minister, he had overturned Sheila Dikshit's decision to approve FDI. That both he and his party chose not to react on Monday has only given rise to speculation.

In the footage, Arvind Kejriwal is seen telling the anchor: "Woh wala thoda theoretical hai, corporate wala aap jo bol rahe thhe ...woh dekh lo. Jitna middle class hai kafi anti ho jayega ki privatisation ke khilaaf hein, companiyon ke khilaaf hein. Isliye mein usmein nahin ja raha tha (That one was slightly theoretical, what you were saying about corporates. The middle class will turn against us, thinking we are against privatization and private business. That is why I was not getting into it)."

He adds that he does not want to say that all private agencies are working in the same way and that whichever government comes to power will take commission from the private sector. "If we say that, hum sare private sector ko nakar denge which is not right," he adds.

When the anchor prompts him further, asking him about the "haashiyon pe 80% samaj" (society on the margins) remark, since that is the real vote-bank, Kejriwal says he will speak on that issue, especially if the party is working for them. During the interview that was aired, Kejriwal had invoked Bhagat Singh, whose portrait can be seen behind him, and drawn a parallel between Singh, who was reportedly hanged on February 14, and himself, who resigned from government on February 14.

When the anchor tells him that this portion was "krantikari" (revolutionary), Kejriwal requests him to run that more on TV.

The party may have refrained from commenting on the controversy but Aaj Tak issued a statement. "A video clip showing an Aaj Tak anchor in conversation with Arvind Kejriwal is being circulated as part of a motivated campaign to malign Aaj Tak's reputation as an independent channel, which fearlessly broadcasts the truth.

The Kejriwal interview was aired live in full on February 14 on all platforms of the India Today Group. In the conversation, Arvind Kejriwal is asking the anchor to highlight parts of the interview. The India Today Group wishes to categorically state that no part of the interview was edited by our network. The entire interview was telecast live. Even during the repeat broadcast, the entire content of the interview was carried unedited."