By Salil Gewali
In the grand theater of politics, Arvind Kejriwal now finds himself caught in a web of his own making. Following multiple summons by the Enforcement Directorate, the recent arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister is not without reason. The fact that his key MLAs are also behind bars on various serious charges speaks volumes. His mentor, Anna Hazare, burst in anger last Friday, stating, “I am very upset that Arvind Kejriwal, who used to work with me and raise his voice against liquor, is now making liquor policies. His arrest is because of his own deeds…” Has the truth eventually opened up like a flower from its bud as nature’s process? Have the laws of karma boomeranged? It is unfair to jump to conclusion and blame the Delhi CM at this juncture.
Needless to say, Arvind Kejriwal was once lauded as the paragon of integrity. However, his journey from a determined anti-corruption activist to an allegedly tarnished political figure emerges as a cautionary tale in the annals of Indian politics. In his early days of social activism, Kejriwal stood shoulder to shoulder with the masses, always speaking out against the corrupt establishment. Alongside Kiran Bedi, he came down heavily on Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sheila Dikshit, and Robert Vadra during the “India Against Corruption movement,” first initiated by Anna Hazare. But contrastingly, the sudden U-turn of Arvind Kejriwal and his arch-rivals from Congress party has never failed to baffle the masses. Were his disillusioned party members perfectly “right” who later became disgusted with Kejriwal’s posture and style of functioning?
Kejriwal’s former associate, Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, a senior neo-natologist from Illinois, USA, once enchanted by Kejriwal’s rhetoric and ambition, found himself fully ignored soon after the former became “more equal,” occupying the chair of the Delhi Chief Minister. Dr. Munish was so upset that he was determined to bring to light the murky realities of camaraderie in AAP. He said it reminded him of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” He finally came out with the documentary film, “Transparency: Pardarshita” to lay bare the alleged hypocrisy that lies beneath the veneer of selfless service, exposing Kejriwal’s alleged involvement in various devious practices he once vowed to eradicate. A professor from Delhi University humorously noted, “We were all awe-struck when Arvind Kejriwal and his colleagues traveled in autorickshaws to the CM’s office after his first victory. However, we were totally shocked when we heard about his alleged 45 crore splurge on refurbishing his official residence at Civil Lines in New Delhi. How can we place our trust in leaders who seem to have a penchant for luxuriating in the hard-earned money of taxpayers?
No less shocking is that Dr. Kumar Vishwas, once the most trusted confidante, turned into an ardent critic of the Delhi CM. He vehemently accused Arvind Kejriwal of cozying up to Khalistani sympathizers and separatist leaders. Dr. Vishwas often suggested that Kejriwal has not only betrayed the party’s founder members and supporters but is also capable of betraying the country in his pursuit of power.
To everyone’s amazement, this Sunday, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a leader of the Khalistani separatists, issued a warning through his video, alleging that the Delhi Chief Minister collected about $16.70 million for his party from Khalistani sympathizers. Hopefully, in time, the truth will be known.
Yes, when it comes to the much-touted liquor scam, Kejriwal’s right-hand and former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, is now in Tihar jail. The trouble for AAP seems to run much deeper than what is apparently visible. An elderly gentleman in Delhi laments that every wife with a drunkard husband and every mother with drunkard sons would be fuming with anger if they knew about the additional facilities provided to “drinkers” by the AAP government in the last two years. With a surge of high-class liquor outlets throughout the capital, it appears that the AAP government is all set to roll out the red carpet for a “drinking spree,” thereby pulling social and family values apart. Shockingly, the Delhi administration has also moved to introduce a scheme for the “home delivery” of liquor to consumers, perhaps maintaining privacy, which is currently awaiting approval from the Lieutenant-Governor.
While countless families grapple with the devastating impact of alcohol abuse, the AAP administration seems more focused on ensuring a seamless supply of intoxicants, all in the name of revenue generation. Should we consider ourselves fortunate to have elected leaders who seem determined to push society into a pit of debauchery? Even a hardcore drunkard would be shocked witnessing his son/daughter indulging in alcohol. Do AAP leaders take pleasure in seeing their sons become addicted to alcohol and fall into ruin? Are we “lucky” to have elected leaders who are focused on pushing society into a “pit of debauchery”? Now, perhaps the AAP should consider changing its party symbol from a “broom” to a “Johnnie Walker bottle”.