Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Central Government and not Kejriwal is at fault' that was published in Newsband

Central Government and not Kejriwal is at fault

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was both praised and criticized for sitting in dharna in Delhi. His critics question as to whether this was the alternative form of politics and administration that he had promised. The same critics never uttered a word when in the past Congress or Bharatiya Janata Party staged bandhs.

Kejriwal’s only demand was that police officers who refused to comply with his Minister’s orders be suspended. The Minister had given orders to take certain steps to stop prostitution and drug-peddling. Now what is wrong in it?

The fact is Kejriwal was just paying special attention to an issue pertaining to women security need since this was a major issue in Delhi which recently witnessed Nirbhaya gang rape. CM Kejriwal had to sit on dharna since his government needed police cooperation to be in a position to function properly.

Kejriwal could have sat in his air-conditioned home in peace. But he didn’t do that. Instead, Kejriwal made it clear that the decaying political system across the length and breadth of the country is no more acceptable to the common man; and to challenge and change it, he chose to hit the streets, spend a whole night out there even when the temperature had fallen to four degrees to make his voice heard and to lead the common man from the front. Kejriwal proved that the interest of the common man was more important to him than the loafs and fishes his new office provided.  

Kejriwal is there to carry the brunt of the all prevailing mis-governance and corruption in every walk of life. Unlike Congress and BJP, he doesn’t believe that politics is nothing more than a very handsomely or rather richly paying Career where you just have to offer lip sympathy to the common man’s concerns.

Another thing is that the Central Government has the Delhi Police under its control but does not and in fact, cannot control the law and order situation in Delhi and this has resulted in Delhi getting the bizarre sobriquet of being the Rape & Crime Capital of India. Yet the Central Government is unwilling to let go of its deficient control and management and transfer the control and management of the police to the elected Delhi government.

Therefore, if the Delhi police, by virtue of being under the Central Government openly indulges in intransigence and disregards the considered advise of the Law Minister of Delhi and if the Central Home Minister remains unmoved even when the CM approaches him to resolve the problem then what other option is available to Kejriwal than go for a peaceful satyagraha through a Dharna with his supporters to make the Central Government realize its folly?