Bangalore:
Captain CR Gopinath, a new convert to the Aam Aadmi Party, today once again cautioned its leaders against going in for knee-jerk reactions, as they had done in Delhi by withdrawing permission to super-market chains to launch their operations, and said there was a need to create an eco-system for the private sector to thrive.
Captain Gopinath, 64, who started the trend of low-cost airlines in India, continued to attack Arvind Kejriwal's AAP for its stand on multi-brand retail. "I firmly believe their decision is not right. Those who voted for the party are agitated," he told NDTV. He said he hoped that its leaders would take his criticism in "the right spirit."
He made it clear that he was not planning to quit the party. "I am not worried. The party is merely suffering from growth pangs. But they should avoid shooting from the hip, opposing for the sake of opposing. The AAP is being accused of getting into cheap politics of populism," he said.
The low-cost aviation pioneer also asked the AAP leaders to recalibrate their strategy for the Lok Sabha polls. "They should try to convert Delhi into a model state, and not rush into Lok Sabha polls. They should concentrate on 10-15 seats," Captain Gopinath suggested.
The Bangalore-based businessman, among the clutch of professionals who had sworn their allegiance to the fledgling party after it exploded into the political scene last month, exhorted Mr Arvind Kejriwal and his colleagues to flag down crony-capitalism, and not the private sector. "We need a corruption-free India, and not a poor India," he quipped.