New Delhi: "Troubled" and "dismayed" at Wharton University withdrawing its invitation to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the varsity's decision to change its mind "under pressure" was "very wrong".
Addressing through video-conferencing at the Wharton India Economic Forum, Kejriwal, who began his indefinite fast against "inflated" power and water bills on Saturday, said he was "dismayed" at the decision.
"I am not a supporter of Mr Modi. In fact, I don't agree with him on many things and have publicly opposed him on many occasions. However, I would like to put on record my dismay at the cancellation of his invitation to speak at this forum," he said. Kejriwal said to issue an invitation and then cancel it under pressure "is not right. It is very wrong. It is unbecoming of an institution carrying the respected Wharton name".
He also said those who refuse to listen to people they do not agree with, they lose an opportunity to learn and grow and the refusal to let him speak goes against the very principles of free speech. Touching upon other issues, he said there was a need for a honest government to monitor private sector.
"The argument that since the government is corrupt, so let's privatise everything, this argument hasn't worked. We can no longer sidestep the issue of governance," he said. "All the policies in the last twenty years were meant to favour big business. In most cases, the policies were directed towards killing small business to favour certain big business houses," he said.
During the interactive session, he said there is no national party in the country with which AAP can join hands. "May be on issues, we can support. Issue based we can support," he said. He also sought to find fault with the "dynastic politics" in the country saying a few families are controlling the country. Laws will be enacted to curb this if AAP gets power, he said.
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