Still an anarchist, after all: Showdown with LG Jung reveals the same old Arvind Kejriwal

By Kay Benedict

“Some people are saying that I am an anarchist. I am spreading disorder. I agree I am an anarchist. Today, I will create anarchy for Shinde,” thus spake Arvind Kejriwal near Parliament House on January 19, 2014. He was staging a sit-in demanding suspension of three Delhi police officials for disobeying then law minister Somath Bharti’s (illegal) order to arrest some Ugandan and Nigerian nationals.

On the eve of Republic Day, the head of the government, along with a few thousand of his supporters, brazenly defied Section 144 of the CrPC, challenging the Centre and the then home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. “Main Aam Aadmi Hoon to main anarchist hoon”, Kejriwal reiterated for effect.

A year later, during the campaign for the Delhi assembly elections, a chastened Kejriwal apologised for the fiasco and vowed not to repeat his mistakes. Rest is history. The Delhi voters pardoned him and the AAP was voted back with a historic mandate of 67 out 70 seats. And people who believed that a messiah had descended to provide a platform for alternative politics rejoiced.

However, within three months of his second stint as CM, Kejriwal has managed to squander considerable public goodwill. The promised transition from activism to governance did not take place. From an anarchist, to politician to chief minister, Kejriwal appears to have returned to anarchy again. His inability to adapt to the system underscores the popular notion that only career politicians can understand and manage the contradictions in the system without precipitating a crisis.

Some professionals who joined politics have successfully packaged themselves into smart leaders while Kejriwal is yet to show any sign of evolving. He is back at his nihilist ways betraying a sadistic streak relishing confrontation with almost every section of his so called adversaries; from his own party colleagues - Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhusuan, to the Centre, the LG, police, bureaucracy and the “supari” media, the BJP and Congress, the list is swelling.

His “sab chor hai” mindset, which is now unravelling, is not only illogical but dangerous too. While last year he challenged the Centre and home minister (Shinde), this year he is challenging the Centre and the LG over the appointment of acting chief secretary Shakuntala Gamlin and principal secretary (services) Arindam Majumdar, triggering a constitutional crisis, exposing, in turn, his lack of political and administrative experience.

This writer holds no brief for the LG, who may have taken questionable decisions. Nevertheless, Kejriwal committed a cardinal sin by going pubic against Ms Gamlin sullying her personal reputation. If he has concrete proof against Gamlin he could resort to legal recourse than using media to smear her. His action has only alienated the powerful bureaucracy.

Sources say there is an undercurrent of resentment against Kejriwal in the bureaucracy who is finding it difficult to adjust with his street politics. “They (the AAP leadership), have no clue…you cannot change the system overnight”, said a senior bureaucrat on Sunday.

Rubbishing AAP chief’s charges that Gamlin tried to favour a particular power company, another official who worked with her said she is a committed officer who has been unfairly targeted. He said “targeting of civil servants are extremely dangerous for democracy”.

Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit too had occasional scraps with the LG, but she never allowed them snowball into a crisis. Reacting to the CM-LG spat, she lamented that this confrontation will bring only loss for Delhi. “The Aam admi party is giving the impression that Kejriwal wants to divert the attention; they are not keeping up the promises they made”, she told media persons.

Kejriwal’s penchant to remain a cult figure at the cost of governance has disappointed his supporters who hoped that the AAP will provide a clean, democratic, transparent pan-India platform for alternative politics.

Kejriwal has still time on his side. He can make amends and emerge an outstanding politician and administrator. A party or government cannot just sustain for long with the single point agenda of “anti-corruption”. What is Kejriwal ? Right, Left, Left-of-Centre, Right-of –Centre ? What is his economic philosophy? Nobody knows. Perhaps the ambiguity suits his greed for power.

The writer is a senior Delhi-based journalist