Kejriwal greets Bedi, invites her to public debate
Kejriwal who will file his nomination today, challenged his former anti-corruption stir colleague to a public debate.
Yahoo India
NEW DELHI: A day after the BJP announced that Kiran Bedi will be the chief ministerial candidate of the party, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal congratulated the former IPS officer and challenged her to a public debate ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections to be held on February 7.
Kejriwal who will file his nomination today, challenged his former anti-corruption stir colleague to a debate on Twitter saying: 'congrats 4 being nominated as BJP's CM candidate. I invite u 4 a public debate moderated by neutral person n telecast by all'
"I accept the challenge, will do it in the assembly. Arvind Kejriwal has only been debating, I believe in delivering," said Bedi.
She further said that she had blocked Kejriwal from her Twitter account after he had called himself an anarchist.
Kiran Bedi, who joined the BJP less than a week ago, will be the party's chief ministerial candidate.
She will contest from Krishna Nagar seat in east Delhi. It was earlier held by Harsh Vardhan, the chief ministerial candidate in the December 2013 elections and now a union minister.
The BJP's decision on naming Bedi, 65, as chief ministerial candidate came after the party leadership felt that they needed a credible local face to take on Kejriwal, who has strong anti-corruption credentials. AAP finished close to the BJP in the 2013 assembly poll.
Bedi has been an anti-corruption activist, a former tennis player and her innings in Delhi Police is still widely remembered in the city. She initiated prison reforms in the Tihar Central Jail when she was heading it.
She has won the Ramon Magsaysay award, an honour she shares with Kejriwal. Both were part of the anti-corruption agitation led by Gandhian Anna Hazare.