'Mad CM' barb: Congress declines to comment, but says Sushilkumar Shinde 'very mature' leader

NEW DELHI: Feigning ignorance of the matter, Congress today declined to comment on Sushilkumar Shinde's alleged remarks that Arvind Kejriwal was a "Veda Mukhyamantri" (mad chief minister) even as it praised the Union Home Minister for being a "very mature" leader.

"I have not seen his comments. Shinde is a very mature leader with a clear understanding. He has always raised his voice for the poor and the oppressed. The party has given him an important responsibility. He discharges that responsibility earnestly," said Congress spokesperson Randip Surjewala.

Shinde today stoked a potential controversy when he called Kejriwal a "Veda Mukhyamantri" (mad chief minister in Marathi), while recalling his own days in the police force.

"When I was in Kherwadi police station in Mumbai's Bandra area, I did not get leave because there were Sena (led) riots. Similarly, yesterday (in Delhi), because of a 'veda mukhyamantri' (mad chief minister) sitting there (on dharna), I had to cancel the leave of policemen," said Shinde, who has been at the receiving end of Kejriwal's repeated diatribes.

Shinde's remarks came at a meeting at Hingoli in the Marathwada region where he recalled how, as a policeman in the 1970s, he did not get leave after marriage due to work pressure.

Kejriwal had alleged that Shinde was corrupt and inefficient and dared the Home Minister to evict him from the dharna site near Rail Bhavan here.

At the AICC briefing, Surjewala also hailed the "balanced and seasoned approach" of the Home Minister and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung in ending the stalemate yesterday which had seen Kejriwal stage a two-day dharna in protest against alleged lapses by Delhi Police.