I don’t feel good while writing
this because we all need to be part of the movement to bring the fundamental
changes in Indian politics. But it will be worse if we ignore the visible signs
where things may easily derail, the signs that are getting visible and may threaten
the course of the political experiment that is taking shape in India.
It was not so long ago that
Arvind Kejriwal was in a fighting mode sans office. Now, that he is in the office,
and still trying to look in the ‘fighting mode’, there have to be natural
questions on his words, on his acts and on his intent.
And pathetic, avoidable things
are happening.
Silly things as we voted Mr.
Kejriwal in with very high expectations.
He is backtracking on his words.
He is getting engaged in unacceptable practices (yes, if we talk of the
politics of change) in order to maintain the symbolism of being the mascot of the
common man, the ‘aam aadmi’.
As if his flip-flops on saying
yes and no to official (palatial) government accommodation and SUVs for his
ministers, and his poorly devised class-based and votebank-aimed sops on power
and water tariff and measures on cracking down on VIP culture were not enough,
today, he fired another inept sounding salvo today.
It was not so long ago that Mr.
Kejriwal, sans office, would invite media for a presser, where he would put
allegations of corruption and misappropriation on this or that political
personality. Okay, he would not give evidence (read concrete). On demands to
present the evidence if he had, he would simply say that it was not his job. He
had informed the authorities with convincing set of arguments (supported by
‘his’ set of evidence), and now it was the job of the government in office to
investigate the matter further.
It was not so long ago that Mr.
Kejriwal used to say so.
Now see this!
Today, we saw Mr. Kejriwal, the
youngest chief minister of Delhi,
doing a volte-face on his tried and tested practice.
Let’s quote him from a media
report (Hindustan Times)*: “Kejriwal, whose AAP is ruling Delhi with the outside support of eight
Congress MLAs, said, "BJP leader Harsh Vardhan has asked me to take action
against Sheila Dikshit. I asked him to provide evidence and I would take
action.”
Whatever big words that he said
after it, continuing his reply didn’t matter because it was enough to tell us
what he meant.
Now, as per your theory,
propounded and practiced by you, we did not expect this to hear from you. That
is pure double standard Mr. Kejriwal, nowhere in the league of the high expectations
with which you have been voted to form the government in Delhi.
Take your time but sound sincere
and try to remain one with what you had been saying before December 8 when the Delhi assembly election
results were declared.
We could have taken it if a
Congress or a BJP politician would have done so. But, certainly, you and AAP or
any other person who claims to join the politics to cleanse it has no such
privilege.
Much is at stake. If this
political experiment, that AAP has become the initial political member of,
fails, Indian electorate will find it hard to go for another.
Much is at stake and the scrutiny
has to be intense.
So, Mr. Kejriwal, don’t backtrack
on your words and on your intent. Show us you meant business by doing business
and not just by words.
Also, beware of what you speak.
They are going to be seen as the direct reflection of your intent now.
Whatever intent you have, your
words today defied that and qualified for yet another volte-face.