What we are witnessing in Delhi these days is the theatre of the
absurd. A chief minister sitting on dharna was unheard of. The chief minister
may have his differences with the Union Government, but these could always be
discussed across the table. You cannot give an ultimatum to the Central
government and then embark on an agitational course. People of the country are
wondering and confused as to what is happening. For the Delhi Police, the
dilemma is even more acute. They cannot use force against the chief minister
and they would not know how to arrest him if he violates the prohibitory
orders.
The basic problem with Arvind Kejriwal and AAP is that that they
are obsessed with dramatising their performance instead of getting down with
serious issues of governance. The hesitation in moving into a proper bungalow
showed that. The refusal to accept the authorised security further underlined
that. Kejriwal should understand that the people of the country would not mind
his staying in a bungalow or accepting the entitled security. What they resent
is the misuse or unauthorised use of these symbols of authority and the
inconvenience to them by police when it enforces the regulations more with
brawn than brain.
Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti behaving like a DCP and
ordering the policemen to conduct raid and search, and Kejriwal defending his
action and even going to the extent of sitting on dharna, demanding suspension
of the police officers, shows—tragically though—how rapidly AAP is getting
derailed in its pursuit of populist postures. The tremendous goodwill generated
by the party is being frittered away. A great opportunity is being missed.
Kejriwal admitting that he was an “anarchist” was the last thing expected of
him. Does he need to be told that anarchy and governance cannot go together?
People voted him to power because they were fed up with the corruption and,
therefore, bad governance of the earlier regime. They were looking for a change
in the ethos of administration and had not bargained for a relapse into
anarchy. It has been rightly said that the AAP ministers who took an oath to
uphold the Constitution are actually violating it.
It is very unfortunate that the core issue of control over the
Delhi Police has been relegated to the background in all this controversy.
Sheila Dikshit raised the issue now and then, but perhaps that was more for
public consumption. Kejriwal has every right to seek control over the Delhi
Police, but not in the manner he is doing. However, it will have to be
remembered that policing of Delhi throws up problems of national importance and
some with international dimensions. Events like Republic Day have profound
national significance. Besides, there is a huge diplomatic corps residing in
Delhi. Leaders of other countries are in Delhi quite frequently. These matters
will have to remain with the Union Government. Delhi government, whose
political complexion would always be unpredictable and whose equation with the
Centre may or may not be very cordial, could not be entrusted with these
responsibilities. But there is no reason why routine law and order and day-to-day
policing of Old Delhi and even parts of New Delhi could not be transferred to
the Delhi government. The modalities of power sharing and jurisdictional
demarcation could be worked out.
If
Kejriwal wants to make his mark on national politics, he would need to do some
course correction. First, he would have to shed his intellectual arrogance and
be receptive to positive ideas from well-meaning people. The Lokpal Bill passed
by the government was reasonably good; Kejriwal’s description of it as “Jokepal”
showed mental rigidity and a reluctance to accept what was a workable
compromise formula. Second, he should stop imagining himself as a messiah who
has been sent to bring “Swaraj” in the country and instead concentrate on
improving governance. Third, he should restrain his party members from making
foot-in-mouth statements which are unnecessarily ruffling feathers and
antagonising people. If AAP does not mend its ways, it may go the way of Asom
Gana Parishad, which also had raised great hopes in 1985 when its youthful
leaders assumed power but soon faded into oblivion.
(Prakash Singh is a Rtd.IPS officer and he had been DGPs of UP anf Assam and DG BSF.)
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