DNA Edit: AAP’s needless activism harmed Delhi residents

With the impasse in Delhi coming to an end, one can only hope that the Aam Aadmi Party government will be back to doing what should be its primary business: governance.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will extract political mileage from this sit-in saga. He has framed his desperation with the theory that the central government is trying to kill federalism. The unprecedented support he got from regional, non-BJP parties must have given a fillip to his national ambition.

These parties had cosied up to BJP whenever it suited them. But, right now, Kejriwal’s biggest battle will be to regain political power in the next Delhi elections. The AAP has been a huge let down since it burst onto the scene with the promise of providing an alternative framework to the usual terms of politics.

Its activism has lost the sting; it’s more of a circus now. The Delhi High Court wasn’t amused by Kejriwal’s antics of occupying a room at the Lieutenant Governor’s official residence. The HC bench, comprising Justices AK Chawla and Navin Chawla, asked who authorised Kejriwal and his two ministers to go on a dharna at Raj Niwas. This doesn’t augur well for the party because an adverse observation followed by a judgement from the High Court will strengthen public conviction that AAP has miserably failed in its duty of running the national capital.

Its run-ins with the IAS cadre — Kejriwal had alleged that they had gone on an undeclared strike, a claim stoutly opposed by the administrative officers — had brought governance to a grinding halt. As the head of the Delhi government, it was incumbent upon Kejriwal to explore alternative ways to avoid confrontation. If the welfare of the citizens is the CM’s main objective, then an impasse isn’t quite helpful.

Moreover, the IAS association sought assurance from the CM about the safety of the officers, which goes on to show that AAP ministers can get physically abusive when work doesn’t happen their way. It is believed that at the core of this nine-day political drama is Kejriwal’s endeavour to stay politically relevant.

In an increasingly polarised atmosphere, it had accorded him much publicity. Finally, the PM had to intervene to bring the situation back to normal. The CM must realise that Delhi statehood, one of his primary goals, is more complex than he imagines. The Congress had failed earlier, despite being at the Centre and in the capital. And, the BJP is still weighing the options.

No doubt, the plethora of agencies with which the Delhi government has to share responsibilities and jurisdiction make its job extremely difficult. Perhaps, the time has come to initiate the process of statehood, but it needs to be well thought-out. However, Kejriwal needs to mend his ways. Resorting to dharna and protests at the drop of a hat will end up sullying the image of his party. AAP’s symbol — the broom — can become a metaphor for its own defeat if it is swept out of power.