Aap ke khatir, Aap ke saat: AAP ki Jhadu Yatra

By Philip Mudartha
Bellevision Media Network

 17 Febraury 2014 : Politics makes strange bed-fellows. The irony is that sworn enemies of Indian politics, BJP and INC, embraced in a Valentines act. Their mission: to prevent tabling of Delhi Jan Lok Pal (DJLP) Bill-2014 in Delhi NCT legislative assembly by arch-rival AAP. Their argument: a CM sworn to protect the constitution has to obey its interpretation by union government.

 

                                                                     AK swearing in by Delhi L-G Jung

Nothing can be more hilarious

Both BJP and INC say they are against corruption. Both say they have the guts to send the corrupt to jail; but, do not have the guts to do drama.

But drama is what they did. Their MLAs broke microphones, tore papers and created ruckus to prevent conduct of business. They trooped into the well of the house to serenade in front of the Speaker. The beleaguered Speaker had the house vote on tabling of DJLP. 42 MLAs voted against. The fig leaf that united the entire opposition was a technicality: The L-G has not approved its introduction in accordance of existing rules. He has specifically written to the Speaker asking him not to introduce the bill. Hence, it is their constitutional duty to prevent anarchy of AAP on the people of Delhi. For them, a CM who braved Delhi winter night and slept on the side of a road in his fight against an arrogant union government is an anarchist.

 

                                                             AK shivering in 4o C winter night chill in Delhi

Hiding behind fig leaf of rules and procedures

The rules were framed and issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2002 by Vajpayee-led NDA government. LK Advani signed the rules as Union Home Minister. According to these rules, Delhi government should get permission of President through L-G and MHA. Legal opinion was divided. The serving Solicitor General (SG) of India had advised L-G that central government must approve the bill before its introduction. Prominent among those who held that no such approval is necessary was Soli Sorabjee, the former SG and an illustrious non-partisan legal authority.

Divergent Views on Governance

Neither AK government nor united opposition worked behind the scenes to evolve a face-saver. The political future of AAP depends on being seen as committed to its manifesto, which brought them to power: Jan Lok Pal and Swaraj. For AAP, governance is enactment of these laws. Jan Lok Pal will send corrupt to jails. Swaraj will return power to people, where it belongs. Without these laws, AAP government is a toothless tiger caged in the secretariat to “govern” through the corrupt system and preserve the status quo. The game plan of both BJP and INC was to keep them AK in government and hope that the system would eventually suck AAP into the cesspool of corruption. Put good people in a bad system, the system wins. As MLAs and ministers get the taste of power, they would learn to become professional politicians, shed the halo of aam admi and become like them. Maro, magar pyaar se.

 

                                                                  The Unholy Unity of BJP and INC

 

It is better to be a martyr on the altar of conviction. 

AK is smarter than his opponents give him credit for. He understands this danger more than anyone else. I have mentioned the practice of overcharging by taxis and autos as an example of aam admi corruption. These small and ordinary people will mend their ways only when they see big boys and girls going to jail for doing wrong things.

There are thousands of young men and women without jobs, who agree that corruption is the curse; but, are willing to pay a bribe to get ahead of competition and secure a job out of turn. There are people in a hurry and honestly do not have time to abide by rules and procedures to get their work done in government offices. These rules are complex and beyond the understanding of even educated. The touts and agents outside government offices make their lives easier. Who in their right mind would be penny wise and pound foolish?

 

                                                      Touts and handlers in government office compounds

The greatest danger AK and AAP face is not the combined might of BJP and INC. Days before his eventual exit as a martyr, Delhi ACB filed a FIR against Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries, Union Ministers Moily and Deora to investigate criminal conspiracy in revision of natural gas pricing policy. This was a deliberate act in fast tracking his exit strategy of scaring BJP and INC into abandoning their game plan of getting AAP dirty within Delhi Secretariat. BJP and INC fell into his trap. He left them no other choice but the unholy unity. He was successful in proving to the nation that BJP which claims to be the party with a difference is in essence is not different at all. It is as corrupt as INC. It was his first success in branding himself and AAP as the ONLY alternative the nation has if it wants to cleanse the system of corruption. Hum desh ke liye CM ki kusi eik baar kya, sau baar kya, hazzar baar qurban kar denge! I will even sacrifice my life for the nation instead of giving up the fight against corruption.

 

                                                             AK announcing his resignation as Delhi CM

And Delhi agreed with him; AAP too.

ABP News and IPSOS conducted a snap poll in Delhi based on a statistical sample of 1013 respondents. Was AK right to resign? Verdict was split equally. Did he deliver in 49 days in government? 62% said he did. Would you vote for AAP again in assembly elections? 67% said yes. Are they in favor of fresh elections to Delhi assembly? 85% said yes; the elections should be held immediately. And would they vote for AAP in LS general elections? 56% said yes, they would vote for AAP.

Polls are not right in absolute number, but they gauge popular mood and its trend. AK and AAP have his eyes and ears in closer communication than his opponents. His opponents are connected to powerful oligarchs, industrialists, businessmen, and mango people of the kind I described. They amount to less than 20%. The significant other 80% feel like orphans: gadhe ko bhi apna baap bana dete the jab unke paas aur chara na tha. They were living on crumbs trickling down after the oligarchs had their romps. Or they would wait in queue at ration shops and government offices to claim government charity distributed under various welfare schemes, subsidies and entitlements. If AK and AAP can lure away 50% of these orphans, he could be King of Union of India.

 

                                                                      Poor women labor in Vibrant Gujarat

AK invokes Shaheed Bhagat Singh as his role model

Hum kaun hein? Hamari aukad kya hei? Arvind kejriwal na CM banna chahte hein, na PM. Hum kursi ki rajneeti karne nahin aaye. Hum desk ko bristachaar se bachane aaye hein.

He grants post-resignation interviews to both NDTV and Aaj Tak. He sits in the living room of his government allotted house and a portrait of Shaheed Bhagat Singh watches over him. On Feb 14, orders were given to hang him; he draws parallel with his own being forced out of government as death sentence imposed on him by our true rulers Ambani and likes of him. Rahul and Modi are mere pawns. Rahul is a dynast; Modi is communal. They seek power with Ambani money and work to return more money to Ambani. They can only enslave aam admi and not liberate us. They are worse than British. Shaheed Bhagat Singh fought for our freedom from British rule and paid with his life. Aam Admi will fight for his freedom in this second freedom struggle.

 

                                               AK speaking to Aaj Tak. Portrait of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on his wall

AK launched his LS election campaign with his resignation speech.

AK and AAP captured Delhi NCT with one-point agenda: Jan Lok Pal to end Corruption. What agenda will he take to leap-frog from Delhi into national politics? Dynastic Politics, Communalism, Criminalization of Politics besides Corruption. The four-point agenda transcends identity politics of all national parties, regional parties and state parties.

Rahul is the most visible face of dynasties; but, he is only the first among hundreds. Voters know who the sons, sons-in-law, daughters, daughters-in-law and wives of established politicians are. Even CPI (M) politburo has Karat Couple, though childless by choice. BJP has Varun Gandhi, Vasundhara Raje, Yeddy and his sons, and some. SP has Mulayam and son. DMK is dynastic. BJD is. NC and PDP are. RJD is. Shiv Sena, MNS and NCP are. AAP would like to position itself as the only non-dynast party and adopt that into its constitution.  For a new party, this is easy to execute. 

Modi is the most derided face of communalism; but, that is because he is PM nominee of BJP. All self-professed secular parties including communists play Muslim Card, Dalit Buddhist Card, Christian Card (North-East) Religious Minorities Card. AAP would like to position itself as truly secular. But, this will be easier said than done. It is already on slippery slope on this count.

AAP has already positioned itself as the sole honest party. It’s squeaky clean, no doubt, because it is only one year old. It has no baggage yet. The 49 days in power is too short a period to get dirty. But, it is sufficient time to copy and archive lot of official state secrets of corruption for use as missiles in coming general elections. This is most formidable among the four point agenda, with a pan-Indian appeal; the only true secular agenda.

NGOs, social activists and do-gooders have published list of criminals in parliament and assemblies. BJP has the honor of topping the list, with INC close second. All other parties, especially the caste based SP, BSP, RLD, and BJD have them in higher proportion than BJP and INC.  Who is not afraid of physical harm and threat to life? Criminals bring in votes by threat of force or actual force. AAP positions to de-criminalize politics. But, given its constituency of angry, boisterous and rowdy young supporters, AAP will face maximum flak on this point. Somnath Bharti, its law minister was already identified as leading a mob showing its rough edge. He will continue to haunt AAP through LS campaign.

 

 

                                                                   The face of rough edge of AAP

What is AAP up to in general elections?

Winning and forming union government without support from any party is a pipe dream. Then, as AK is not tired of saying, AAP is not in politics to come to power. It is in it to cleanse the system. How? The aim is to enter parliament with numbers sufficient to create hangama.

                                                                               Future career plans

Drama-baaz, their distractors will scream. But, then what is happening in the ongoing winter session? If big national parties and small parties of third or fourth front can make hangama to advance their illegitimate causes, then why AAP is not entitled to do so for legitimate cause of fight against corruption, communalism, criminals and dynast? Point noted, Sir!

Aap ke khatir, Aap ke saat: AAP ki Jhadu Yatra

 

                                                                   Back to streets with Jhadu

 

AAP has already sacrificed its government for you. It has vowed to be with you. Its first rally to broom its opponents into dustbins of history has been announced from Hissar in Haryana. Incidentally, Hissar is home to Naveen Jindal, Congress MP and industrialist under investigation in Coal-Scam. Watch out for fireworks.

Aap ke khatir, aap ke saat. Join the jhadu yatra.