Odd-even scheme: Arvind Kejriwal warns volunteers against misbehaving

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday warned volunteers, who will be deployed for the odd-even scheme, against "arguing or misbehaving" with people and to focus on "changing hearts" by resorting to polite tactics like handing over flowers to violators.

He also urged school students to convince their parents, relatives and friends to follow the odd-even scheme, that will come into force from January 1, and to encourage them to opt for carpooling, which the Chief Minister shall himself resort to.

"You will have to change the hearts of people. You don't have to issue challan or argue or misbehave with anyone. You will hold placards at red lights and on spotting a violator, you will give him a flower and urge him to go back home," Kejriwal said.

He was addressing volunteers, comprising Civil Defence men, NCC and NSS cadets, at Chhatrasal stadium during a briefing session to make them aware about their specific role.

Earlier, Kejriwal made students of Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyala at Civil Lines take pledge to fight pollution and convince their parents, relatives and friends to adhere to the odd-even scheme to be rolled out in two days.

Kejriwal said the scheme won't meet success merely by issuing challans and unless people of Delhi resolve that it's their own movement "we cannot implement it."

"Everyone in Delhi needs to understand that it's their own movement. They do not need to follow it because Kejriwal and his government is strict about it, but they need to follow it because it's a question of their life, their childrens' lives," he said.

The idea, Kejriwal said, was to persuade people to keep their cars off the roads by adopting methods that would "stir his conscience". "If you see anyone violating the odd-even scheme, just roll down your car window and ask that person to go back home.

If such a violator is interrupted like this at 10 red lights, then he will feel ashamed and I hope he will go back home," Kejriwal told students. Kejriwal, while interacting with the students, referred to his conversation with his son Pulkit, a student of class nine, over the constant rise in pollution levels in the city.

"He asked me what can children do and what do I expect from them," Kejriwal said and went on to advise the students to focus on three basic points.

"Follow odd-even scheme and convince your parents, also ask them to have the Pollution Under Control Certificate, and prod violators so that they feel ashamed and obey the scheme," he suggested.

Citing the experience of the car free days organised in the capital till this month, Kejriwal said that people of Delhi were welcoming of the car-rationing policy and that "whole of Delhi is ready for its implementation."

Stating that 100 per cent result cannot be assured in any initiative, Kejriwal said that there could be problems due to inadequate numbers of buses and metro trains but the air has become "so poor" that there was no other way to improve it.

During the programme 'Pollution Free Delhi', a student asked the Chief Minister about the exemption on medical emergencies provided in the scheme and how is it to be implemented on the ground, to which Kejriwal replied by saying that the scheme is largely based on trust.

On being asked about the probability of people buying two cars to evade the scheme, the Chief Minister called it a "baseless claim" being propagated for the past few days.

"Media is exaggerating about people buying two cars to evade the scheme. Not too many people are that rich, and the affluent ones already have more than one car. These are all baseless claims being propagated from the past few days. And above all, it is not a permanent scheme anywhere," said Kejriwal.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Transport Minister Gopal Rai were also present on the occasion. "I, myself, shall carpool with Rai, who lives not very far away from my residence," Kejriwal said.

Replying to another question, Kejriwal referred to some people having converted their petrol cars to CNG in view of the exemption for the latter provided in the scheme, but said that no such rule for compulsory conversion of vehicles can be enforced.