In the last few years, Kejriwal has made many 180-degree turns as far as his political ideology is concerned. From supporting anarchy to a patriotism-themed Delhi government budget, Kejriwal has crisscrossed his political spectrum within a short period of time.
Through the FY 22 budget, Kejriwal tried to project himself as well as his party as patriotic and religious. The AAP government not only promised to launch a ‘deshbhakti curriculum’ but also allocated monetary resources for the installation of 500 flag masts across the city. Moreover, he also said that the senior citizens of Delhi would be taken to Ram Temple, Ayodhya, under the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana.’
“I am a devotee of Lord Ram and Hanuman. We have been following 10 principles inspired by the concept of ”Ram Rajya” to serve the people of Delhi,” CM Kejriwal said during a discussion on the address to the House by the Lieutenant Governor earlier this week.
“We have taken many steps to honour our elderly, the most important being sending them on free pilgrimages. I want to tell all senior citizens in Delhi that I will send you to Ram temple in Ayodhya once the construction work is completed,” he added.
Kejriwal is playing his cards really well and is making claims as well as taking decisions to prove himself an adherer of Hindutva and a nationalist leader. A few months ago, much to the dismay of a large section of his minority voters, the Kejriwal government allowed the Delhi Police to prosecute the likes of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and Faizal Khan.
In fact, the AAP itself is taking a sharp turn from its policies for quite some time now, trying to stay away from its conflicts with the Centre. Take for instance the abrogation of Article 370, and Kejriwal’s unequivocal support to the Modi government’s historic decision. And then, on the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act as well, the party maintained a safe distance from the fearmongering and lies of the Congress, Left, and other irrelevant political fronts. The AAP also stayed away from a meeting of opposition parties in which 20 parties demanded the withdrawal of the CAA and said that the process of NPR should be stopped immediately.
With the success of his party in states like Gujarat and Punjab, Kejriwal is now emboldened to present his party as an alternative to the Congress. And, in the process, he does want to make mistakes like giving space to anti-nationals and taking decisions to appease minorities, which made the Congress party irrelevant in contemporary India.
However, despite Kejriwal’s attempts to shed his anarchist image and project himself as a patriotic and religious leader, the people of the country largely remain unconvinced except for a few pockets in Punjab and Gujarat. Kejriwal has changed his ideology, statements, and has spoken too many lies to be believed by the majority. From raising questions over the surgical strikes to making false corruption charges against people across the political spectrum and then rendering an apology, Kejriwal has committed too many sins to be taken seriously as a credible alternative by the people of the country.