I must admit that I was a skeptic from the very beginning of anti-corruption politics in India. For all his right intentions, I couldn’t approve of every method adopted by Anna Hazare and his lieutenants. Trashing the whole political class and bureaucracy as filthy corrupt and promoting anarchy as a method to achieve their means was my no means condonable. Their proposed silver bullet for all the ills in India, “Jan Lokpal” was just a reactionary outcome of several high ticket corruption scandals of the then UPA government, not a rational one. Jan Lok Pal in its original form was not pragmatic. Moreover, it could have twisted a dagger into the very heart of our democratic polity, as an all-powerful body with little accountability could have run roughshod over a democratically elected government, terrorizing bureaucracy and thereby jeopardizing governance. Further, despite overwhelming sentiments against corruption in the country, the movement led by Hazare’s lieutenants like Kejriwal and the Bhushans on the platform of “India against corruption”, with Anna as the figurehead was not as popular as it was made out to be. It was the patronizing English media and civil society members impressed by the middle-class sentiments on corruption who made it as big as it looked like.
Enter Arvind Kejriwal, a shrewd man with very high ambitions; he exploited the situation to the hilt, taking full advantage of the prevailing atmosphere of discontent. He effectively backstabbed his mentor, Anna Hazare, by launching a political outfit, AAP to reap dividends from the anti-corruption movement, much against the wishes of the aging Gandhian. He fed the public, disillusioned with politicians, the very words they wanted to hear. And, people desperately wanted to believe him despite their good senses telling them that his gospel was too good to be true. Anointing himself as the new messiah of the nation, he went on a tirade against the entire political class. He crowned himself as the Mr. Perfect and found fault with everyone else; anyone who dared to raise a finger against his anarchist ways was labeled as corrupt. “My way or Highway attitude” became the new norm with active connivance from the sections of civil society and media who papered over his many faults while highlighting his propaganda of anti-corruption and anti-VIP culture crusade.
The 2013 Delhi elections was indeed a watershed movement in Indian politics. An activist party scripted an outstanding début by coming a close second in the assembly polls; their leader, Kejriwal trounced none other than the formidable incumbent CM, Sheila Dixit from New Delhi constituency to lead the fight from the front. Political pundits and media were so stunned that they forgot to discuss anything else on prime time TV; even critical election results from four other states being swept under the carpet. What contributed to this miracle? AAP, of course, had many committed upright leaders; they had committed young volunteers who were highly patriotic and genuinely believed that AAP can usher in a new era of clean politics. Moreover, AAP with its lofty ideology seemed like a fresh sea breeze to a disenchanted general public. Kejriwal even managed to form a government with Congress support; it was quite a sight with the swearing-in ceremony being conducted in open grounds, MLAs arriving in auto rickshaws and metro trains. High sounding sermons on abolishing VIP culture and practicing honest politics were made almost every day. Media readily lapped up whatever the party says and the general public was almost dulled into believing that change has finally arrived.
Alas, they were mistaken; apart from handing out doles and freebies, what happened was empty rhetoric, blatant hypocrisy and high-handedness by AAP leaders. The law minister, Som Nath Bharati who was earlier accused in a spamming case led from the front, even having the audacity to try to summon High Court judges! In the name of vigilantism, he and his goons had no qualms about physically assaulting Nigerian women in Khirki extension on allegations of prostitution and drug peddling. The minister even threatened police officers who refused to follow his illegal diktats in harassing the women. The most striking aspect was that the Chief Minister had the audacity to defend his irresponsible, racist thug of a minister even after the incident turned into a full-blown diplomatic incident. Further, the CM turned drama queen by sitting on Dharna in front of the rail Bhavan against the Center and Delhi Police. And, it didn’t end there, Imagine an incumbent chief minister declaring himself anarchist and threatening to disrupt Republic day celebrations unless his whims and fancies were satisfied!
Anarchy and vigilante mode of justice patronized by AAP went against the very grain of our democracy. The arrogance of AAP leaders was becoming increasingly difficult to put up with. Kejriwal acted like a buffoon more often than not, bringing the dignity of his office to a nadir. AAP exploited the public resentment against corruption for their 30 minutes of fame, with the Delhi CM and his ministers running around like headless chicken. U-turns every other day on policy decisions became the norm. After realizing that his poll promises were untenable, he started running away from his responsibilities; resorting to public farces to divert public attention and then play the victim. Even the 300 pages long evidence against Sheila Dixit, which he repeatedly brandished during poll campaign mysteriously vanished. And, in 49 days he ran away from office citing opposition’s efforts to scuttle Lok Pal bill. But, it was too apparent that Kejriwal was running away from the responsibility of governance. Obviously, he loved protests and anarchy, not governance.
Despite, the misadventures of his short reign, Kejriwal remained the blue-eyed boy of Indian media. Even the sections of the general public were prepared to give him another chance as they made themselves believe that it is just the lack of political maturity; given time, AAP and Kejriwal will transform India, they thought. After all, he, with the help of a pliant media had projected himself as the man with a golden heart, a knight in the shining armor destined to lead India out of the darkness of corruption, nepotism, and VIP culture; and it worked. Now, with his megalomania at its zenith, he threw his hat into the general elections of 2014, contesting against the NDA prime ministerial candidate himself at Varanasi. Pompous claims of an encore of Sheila Dixit upset were made with AAP deciding to contest nationwide. But, the public had enough of Kejriwal “nautanki” and was whipped 7-0 in Delhi as the BJP swept the polls riding on the popularity of Narendra Modi.
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AAP and Kejriwal looked down and out, with people seeing through his drama and double speak. But, to his credit he cleverly manipulated his way back using an unconditional apology to sway public sympathy for him in Delhi. Series of blunders by the pre-poll favorite, BJP gave AAP a second wind and Kejriwal stormed back to power with a massive 67-3 verdict in the 2015 assembly elections. But, the public who were expecting a mature and efficient administration were in for a series of shocks. AAP fast proved itself to be worse than the much maligned mainstreamed political parties. Starting with the allegations of illicit fund transfers to party coffins to criminal cases against ministers and prominent leaders, AAP found itself in a quagmire of controversies. Politics of negativity, a hallmark of AAP from its inception continued unabated, as the party failed to show any maturity. Kejriwal’s showdown with lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung fast spiraled out of control with almost daily altercations and the CM crying foul over allegations of center destabilizing his government. AAP leaders who used to travel by auto and metro to stress their “Aam Admi” credentials started zooming around in SUVs. 21 MLAs were made parliamentary secretaries with lavish perks in an attempt to buy their absolute loyalty. The palatial bungalows occupied by AAP ministers is in sharp contrast with their earlier pretensions of humble dwellings for people’s representatives. While, no one will grudge our ministers getting all the facilities they need, why this double speak? Hypocrisy is the most pernicious dishonesty.
Even, grave charges of nepotism surfaced with party leader Naveen Jaihind’s wife Swati Maliwal appointed as the chief of Delhi Commission for women. The man used to target the PM and his party for sidelining veteran leaders, but had no qualms about unceremoniously kicking out Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, widely respected founding members of AAP, for questioning the culture of sycophancy and lack of transparency in the party. Kejriwal and his coterie, Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh and Manish Sisodia called all the shots and AAP soon denigrated into a house of sycophancy and corruption, with allegations against many legislators. Kejriwal is so full of himself that he didn’t even spare the media who made him; threatening to file defamation suits and calling for public trials. Such is his double speak that had filed a court affidavit to decriminalize defamation as it violated “freedom of expression”. Even claims of integrity came apart when he shamelessly defended his law minister Jitender Singh Tomar till he was left with no choice but to sack him. What an irony as this is the same man who asks other party leaders to resign at the slightest charges, the same man who has taken upon himself to issue “certificates of honesty”.
AAP suffered yet another moral depravation when Kejriwal shamelessly went ahead with his speech even as a farmer, Gajendra Singh hanged himself to death at the venue. With criminal cases against more than 20 of its MLAs, including serious charges like molestation, forgery and rioting, one wonder what legitimacy do AAP have to claim to be an honest party with integrity? Kejriwal’s credibility hit rock bottom when Dengue crisis hit the national capital. Lives would have been saved if the AAP government had shown half the zeal it has in tilting at the windmills. Of course, the Delhi Municipal Corporation should also share the responsibility. But, that doesn’t exonerate the state government by any means. The last straw was when he politicized horrendous rapes of minors in the capital to serve his political agenda of wresting control of Delhi Police. The same man who ridiculed the then CM of Delhi for expressing her helplessness in the aftermath of 2013 Nirbhaya rape case shirked responsibility as usual and sought to put the blame on the PM and LG. The impunity with which he indulge in hypocrisy is striking. For all his grandstanding, Kejriwal comes across as a vile man full of negativity, double speak, and moral turpitude. The man and his party brooks no dissent and is in a path of constant conflict with every other constitutional mechanism. This is a dangerous trend which flies in the face of democratic ethos of our nation.
It is time Kejriwal and AAP introspect, not for the sake of skeptics, but for the large section of the largely apolitical public who believed in your gospel and pinned hopes on you for a new era of clean politics. Of course, you can argue that, funds of other parties are also not transparent, their legislators also have criminal cases pending against them, endorse VIP culture, indulge in doublespeak, etc. But, then what is the difference? You made your case saying that you will make politics a different ball game, where ethics and integrity rule the roost. But, you ended up practicing the worst form of dishonesty, hypocrisy. When public retribution comes, it will be swift and bloody because they put u on a pedestal, but you ended up worse than conventional politicians; betrayal of trust invokes a sea of emotions. So, appraise yourself and reinvent before the tide of public anger sweeps you away. Empty rhetoric and quixotic idiosyncrasies must end. Sacking your minister in full public view in a press conference is an act of mere grandstanding at the cost of your comrade, rather than a gesture of genuine integrity as evident from your earlier attempts to brazen out serious charges against Somnath Bharati and Jitendra Singh Tomar. Rather than blaming everyone under the sun, AAP should look within if they are serious about transforming politics. More importantly, Kejriwal should learn to stay away from his cabal of sycophants who massage his bloated ego to control strings of power. Else, AAP is destined to remain a mere footnote in the history of Indian polity or a case study about how a few over ambitious men hijacked and destroyed a genuine cause for integrity in politics.