Kejriwal & the mill of vendetta politics

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has turned out to be Chairman Mao’s adherent in the truest sense among Indian politicians. He believed in “the cultural revolution” and in “storming the headquarters” from the bottom of his heart — heckling and abusing those in high places, flinging charges of corruption without proof, and threatening to bring kangaroo justice against them.

He was tamed somewhat after spectacularly winning the Delhi election last year. Nevertheless, he still speaks in a personal, moralistic way as he hurls abuse at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for resorting to a CBI raid against him when he couldn’t get the better of him politically. The language is ghastly, but top guns on the ruling side can be held guilty of using tones of the gutter, from the Lok Sabha campaign on.

But it is noteworthy that the Opposition parties in Parliament that sprang to the Delhi CM’s defence — principal among them the Trinamul, JD(U) and the Congress — appeared acutely concerned with the constitutional implications of the supposed raid on Tuesday, and the sealing of the CM’s office.

The issue has muddied waters further between the government and the Opposition, and has provided further ammunition — after the National Herald case — on the issue of vendetta against non-BJP leaders by the present BJP government. Virbhadra Singh in Himachal Pradesh, Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, and Nitish Kumar in Bihar have for some time complained about the use of extra-curricular instruments to bring them around. Perhaps to this list can also be added the BSP leader Mayawati.

In contrast, it has been noted that the shocking Vyapam case in BJP-run MP and the so-called PDS scandal in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh is yet to prick the conscience of the Modi government. The storm created some months ago on the Lalit Modi affair in Parliament by the Opposition parties also made little impression on the government.

This selective defining of crime is lending further grist to the mill of vendetta politics to which several Opposition parties have returned again and again. There is time to correct the impression. The government also needs to substantively brief Opposition leaders to absolve itself of the charge of raiding the office of a chief minister. There will be no end to the poisoning of the atmosphere between the government and the Opposition, and legislation will be affected, if the government doesn’t take helpful steps. If the CBI has moved against the Delhi CM’s principal secretary with valid proof of corruption, it is within its remit to act. But this remit can never extend to searching or sealing the offices of a high constitutional functionary. That is arbitrary, high-handed, authoritarian and unconstitutional. Proof must be furnished that this has not been the case.

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