KOLKATA: The near frenzy at IIT-Kharagpur over alumni Arvind Kejriwal 's stunning electoral success in Delhi has been replaced by dismay over AAP 's gaffes less than a month into his chief ministership. The IIT-Kgp community is trying to send out warning signs to the party and its leaders to be more restrained and restore respectability.

About 400 students at IIT-Kgp had volunteered to become AAP executives and popularize the party among other IITs and in Bengal. However, they are getting restless and have started criticizing the recent goings on in Delhi as attempts to get cheap popularity. The alumni are also critical of AAP's gaffes and fear for the future of the party unless the leaders restrain themselves in their public dealings. This dominated the discussins at last week's alumni meet.

A Facebook page started by the IIT-Kgp community for students and alumni is openly criticizing AAP and Kejriwal. Named 'IIT Against AAP' it has already found 24,000 followers from across the country. "Honestly, we didn't for once think that Kejriwal would make these blatant mistakes immediately after assuming office. Why did he have to say that he had acrimonious documents against Sheila Dixit ? Now why is he saying that a lot has to be investigated before making these public? We wonder why he had to assume power in the first place by taking the help of Congress ?" said Angshuman Chakraborty, an alumnus who runs his own software company.

An alumnus of the 1973 batch, admiral M K Badwar, has cautioned AAP against being "erratic". "Who will run the administration if half the officials are suspended? One of the reasons for bribery is also that most government offices are understaffed or manned by incompetent staff. Suspensions cannot solve these problems," he writes.

The posts reflect that AAP's popularity has been dented by the controversy over Somnath Bharti and the Ugandan women visitors and Kejriwal's dharna. "Instead of such gimmicks, the CM should look for mature long-term solutions. Why should the head of a state government advertise anarchy? He is taking the law in his own hands instead of using the law to solve issues," said Anubhav Sinha, a student.

Riteish Singh, an M Tech student, who has been AAP's pointsman on campus, sounded embarrassed. "People are asking questions and I don't grudge them. I am still a supporter of AAP, but I feel that it should behave more maturely," he said.

