Opinion View from the Right: AAP no different
AAP is curbing its own activists’ dissent regarding transparency on financial matters.
With the AAP facing an internal crisis, the Organiser editorial takes a swipe at the party: “Despite the claims of a new and fresh experiment in Indian politics… [the] AAP formation is more about [the] selfish power game of some individuals… With the ouster of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from the party’s PAC, the claims of AAP being different has not only faltered, it’s also proved to be worse than any other AAM party”. The editorial points out that it was an experiment by a group of NGOs “working with their own single-point agendas and ambitious ‘social workers’, supported by left-hearted individuals like Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav disgruntled with mainstream Left politics. It recalls that Yadav and Bhushan had raised concerns about two issues: First, “44 candidates who fought on AAP’s symbol were crorepatis and 23 with criminal antecedents… Second, AAP is curbing its own activists’ dissent regarding transparency on financial matters.” When questions were raised about the source of money for its “extravagant election campaign”, the party removed the list of contributors from its website.
AAP’S CONTRADICTIONS
The Panchjanya editorial also criticises the AAP for latest developments that have exposed its contradictions within. The party has failed its first fire test — no one is allowed to question Arvind Kejriwal. The party that claimed to be vocal about transparency and internal democracy decided to keep out two top leaders from its political affairs committee because they raised questions about Kejriwal’s style of functioning. Crisis has come so early to the AAP because, having jumped from a mass movement to power politics, it doesn’t have any ideology or vision. The party is also moving from a “we-don’t-want-anything” status to “we-want” position. It has not taken even a month to break people’s hearts.
J&K AGENDA
The Organiser cover story reminds the BJP-PDP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir that the “real acid test” and a true measure of political maturity would be the deliverance on “tangible performance indicators mentioned in the Common Minimum Program…” The article underscores that the very purpose of the alliance is to cater to the governance agenda. “Its primary aim is the ‘creation of an enabling environment for the all-round economic development of the state and its people.’”
Compiled by Liz Mathew
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