Amid the bitter tussle over control of administrative services in Delhi, Congress leader  and former Union Urban and Affairs Minister Ajay Maken offered a piece of advice to AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to stop summoning bureaucrats at odd hours and stop using harsh language while talking to them. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit also claimed that Kejriwal could be the first elected Chief Minister to go to jail over corruption charges.

Maken took to Twitter and Facebook on Sunday to recall his own personal experience that he got from former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit during the BJP-led NDA regime at the Centre in early 2000s and advised that  Kejriwal should follow the “Sheila Dikshit model” of engaging with officers respectfully, holding dialogues with them rather than “mistreating” them, and persuading them to work for the city’s advancement. He also said Kejriwal’s past actions of summoning officers and allegedly using harsh words against them are only contributing to the City’s distress.

“I hope the current Chief Minister takes note of this journey and learns from it. Engage with officers respectfully, hold dialogues, and persuade them for Delhi’s advancement. They will certainly align with your vision if it’s sincere.

 “Your past actions - summoning officers at ungodly hours, resorting to mistreatment and harsh words - are not constructive. It’s crucial to recognize that such behavior only contributes to the city’s distress,” Maken said on Twitter.

Sharing a story titled “A Day with Sheila Ji: Reflecting Amidst Kejriwal’s Current Power Chaos”, Maken said in the early 2000s a historic shift was underway in Delhi when he was serving as the transport, power, and tourism minister under the late Sheila Dikshit.

 The Congress leader said the Delhi government was spearheading a series of initiatives including transitioning public transport to CNG, launching the Metro and reforming the power department.