Opinion As Kejriwal takes on Modi, a lesson for Delhi CM from Lord of the Rings

Demonetisation, the causing and then abysmal handling of the migrant crisis during the lockdown, price rise, and unemployment — all of these could have been avoided with better, more democratic and responsive leadership. In addition, unable to govern well himself, PM Modi is (according to Kejriwal), trying to undo the good work being done in Delhi by rendering its government defunct, the voters’ will be damned.

One of the major shortcomings of the AAP has been its inability, at least in an ideological sense, to distinguish itself from the BJP. After all, cheaper electricity and generic diatribes against corruption are not enough to challenge the sophisticated and powerful organisational-ideological machinery of the BJP-RSS. That the AAP government and Kejriwal have been only too keen to play up their “Hindu” credentials — Diwali prayers for Covid at temples and pilgrimages on December 6 to Ayodhya (this is something even most BJP governments haven’t done), for example — made it seem as though the new kid on the political block had little issue with the slide in constitutional values.

By directly speaking of the alleged authoritarianism of the PM, the gross centralisation of power and talking about federalism in a way that is accessible, not merely relying on the high-minded rhetoric of constitutional scholars, Kejriwal seems to be indicating a shift in AAP’s political style. He seems to have realised that a political party, especially in the Opposition, needs to be more than a service provider.

Yet, there were some major shortcomings in the speech, red flags that signal the continuing political immaturity of the AAP.

Arvind Kejriwal’s attack on the Centre over the ordinance overruling the SC’s verdict echoed the party line. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

The “anpadh Raja” parable about Narendra Modi’s lack of education (the controversial Masters’ degree in “entire political science” notwithstanding) was churlish. While Kejriwal has flaunted his education (at IIT), he would do well to recognise that some minor technocratic skill has no correlation with either leadership or governance. Calling the PM illiterate may backfire and allow the latter to play the victim — a political gambit in which he is an expert. After all, the same man cannot be both all-powerful and a puppet in the hands of bureaucrats at the same time, as the Delhi CM tried to indicate.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, Kejriwal tried to frame the Centre’s ordinance taking away Services from the Delhi government as a national issue. It would happen in every state, he said. The AAP and the people of Delhi had support from political parties across the country, he claimed.

It was not so long ago that the AAP supported the abrogation of Article 370 — in complete denial of the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. What’s happening in Delhi is analogous. Perhaps political expediency demanded the doublespeak by AAP. Yet, going forward, it needs to realise that it cannot go it alone if it wants to take on the BJP. That it must stand up on matters of principle if it expects others to do the same for it. The sole Opposition leader outside the AAP on the stage at the maha rally was independent Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal. And his speech seemed more about trying to communicate the technicalities of the SC verdict and the ordinance overturning it.

From the moment of its inception over a decade ago as a “movement” against corruption at the Ram Leela ground, AAP has been both anti-politics and anti-politician. Its leaders have repeatedly called the entire political class “corrupt” and sought to paint those who believe in a theocratic state and those who believe in the Constitution with the same brush. Yet, as Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Suhas Palshikar have pointed out in The Indian Express, “politics as usual” is an essential safeguard of democracy. A professional political class that abides by written and unwritten rules of the game — such as not using state agencies to destroy the Opposition, beyond a point — ensures the survival and health of a competitive democratic system.

Today, the AAP is looking for support from precisely that class of professional politicians as its leaders are targeted by investigating agencies and its elected government’s power is circumscribed by a ruthless central government.

Hopefully, other Opposition parties will not be petty. Hopefully, they will not ask, as King Theoden in The Lord of the Rings, “Why should we come to the aid of those who did not come to ours?”

It is clear from his speech that Kejriwal and the AAP have much to offer the Opposition in the run-up to 2024. Now, though, the leader and the party must do their best to support others where needed and, in turn, rally parties across the spectrum to take on the BJP.

Their first test in this regard will be at the Opposition meeting in Patna on June 23. For years, the new kid on India’s political block has cursed the games of politicians. As it faces a dominant, seemingly unbeatable player on the other side, we shall see if the AAP has learnt how to play.

aakash.joshi@expressindia.com