'Kiran Bedi was a good cop, but politics is different'

Congress leader Ajay Maken on Monday dubbed Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi as "opportunists" who "used" Anna Hazare to meet their own political ambitions.

"Both these leaders represent the same opportunistic forces. Both of them used Anna Hazare and the issue of corruption to come to the fore. They were earlier in the garb of an NGO and now they want to meet their own political ambitions," the Congress campaign committee chief said.

Questioning Bedi's political acumen, Maken said she was not a "good listener" in spite of her being a "good cop" in the past.

"Kiran Bedi was a good cop. But political administration requites totally different abilities. Requires patience... and you have to be a good listener and if you have to be a good listener you can't be Kiran Bedi," he said.

Maken made his comments before setting out to inaugurate his election office at Shastri Nagar following which he will file his nomination papers from the Sadar Bazar constituency.

The senior Congress also leader hit out at former Union minister Krishna Tirath, who recently joined the BJP, saying she is a "first grade opportunist".

"Well the less said about her the better. She is a first grade opportunist. I don't know what has happened to the BJP. Is there a dearth of capable leadership that a person who has lost her deposit as a Congress candidate has been taken in and given a ticket," Maken said.