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Anti-Corruption Helpline: Arvind Kejriwal Makes The First The Call As 'Vikram'

'Hello, This Is Vikram': Kejriwal Makes The First Call To The Anti-Corruption Helpline
NEW DELHI, INDIA - MARCH 30: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the Raising Day of Delhi Fire Service at Fire Service Management Academy, Rohini on March 30, 2015 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Subrata Biswas/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
NEW DELHI, INDIA - MARCH 30: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the Raising Day of Delhi Fire Service at Fire Service Management Academy, Rohini on March 30, 2015 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Subrata Biswas/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI — The first call to the newly-revived anti-corruption helpline was made by none other than Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, but the operator on the other side would not know that.

Kejriwal, to demonstrate to those present that the helpline maintained complete confidentiality, introduced himself as ‘Vikram’ to the woman who answered the call, according to a report in the Indian Express.

"Hello, my name is Vikram," Kejriwal said in his inaugural call to 1031.

He put his phone on loudspeaker mode and lodged a complaint against a food-inspector in Timarpur.

Kejriwal also claimed that corruption in the national capital has significantly reduced after his party assumed power, pledging to transform the city into one of the top five corruption-free metropolises in the world.

"During the India against Corruption movement, led by Anna Hazare, we had the passion to make India corruption-free; after 49-days of governance, we have the confidence to do it...In these 49 days, I agree that the corruption has not stopped, but it has surely come down. We will use technology on a large-scale to make Delhi top five corruption-free cities in the world in 5 years," Kejriwal said.

"We have the courage to take action against our own party members if they are wrong... Tomorrow, if Manish Sisodia does something wrong, even he will have to go to jail," he added.

But not everyone is thrilled with the new initiative. The Congress accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of subscribing to the practice of 'VIP culture', alleging that the event to launch an anti-corruption helpline in the city had separate entries for VIP and VVIP card holders.

Congress leader Ajay Maken mocked the AAP, accusing its members of 'behaving like VIPs' mere days after coming to power.

"I was passing near Talkatora stadium where AAP was hosting a program. I saw that the party, which calls itself the common man party and says that it wants to end VIP culture, had made separate entries for VIP and VVIP card holders," Maken said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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