Javadekar dubs Kejriwal's claim of staying in power for 10-15 years a dream

New Delhi, April 20: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar today dubbed as a "dream" Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's reported "warning" to bureaucrats that AAP will be in government in Delhi for another 10-15 years and dismissed as "small measures" the state government's odd-even car rationing scheme to control pollution.

"What kind of style is this of the Chief Minister? Only he can tell about it. I do not want to speak much on what threatening civil servants amounts to. I will only say one thing. Everybody has a right to dream," Javadekar said.

He was asked to comment on a report that quoted Kejriwal as telling the officers yesterday that "You may like it or not, but we are here for 10-15 years. Those officers who are above 45 have no choice". Kejriwal, while addressing a Civil Services Day event had warned bureaucrats not to engage in "politics" and follow AAP government's orders.

The Environment Minister was also dismissive about the odd-even scheme, saying it will be accounted for how much money was spent on it and how much hardship people had to face vis-a-vis the benefits it brought.

He, however, refrained from criticising the scheme, saying everybody has to do something or the other to fight against pollution. "People will keep on taking small measures be it odd-even or others. Everybody has to do his or her programmes.

Cooperation should be given. People will also have to come out against pollution. "But how much pollution came down, how much benefits accrued, how much hardship people had to undergo, how much expenditure was incurred on it, people will make them account for all this," Javadekar said.

Noting that pollution occurs due to may reasons, out of which one-third is due to vehicles, Javadekar claimed that the most important decisions to check pollution have been taken by the Narendra Modi government.

PTI