In the wake of the Liquorgate scam, finally, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia resigned on February 28 after being arrested by the CBI. It is ironic that a person accused of the Liquorgate scam went to pay his homage to Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial, Rajghat, before surrendering himself into the CBI for interrogation. The way it was turned into a procession by the political workers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), shows the level of noise and mayhem these elected representatives can create without any sense of shame and inhibitions. Along with Sisodia’s resignation, another relief that comes to the people of Delhi is that Satyendar Kumar Jain, the Health Minister of Delhi who had been in Tihar jail for the last ten months over corruption charges, has also resigned. He blatantly refused to resign from his post while he was in jail.
Manipulating Public
The nation will eventually know whether Sisodia and others involved are guilty of the crimes they have been accused of or not. While the judiciary will decide the verdict, many questions and concerns are being raised in the Liquorgate scam, particularly the procedural lapses in the whole case. The fact that the Cabinet Secretary of Delhi recommended a CBI inquiry to the Lieutenant Governor and how many IAS officers- linked to the case- have been suspended. Meanwhile, the media has also reported that the ‘South lobby’ also had a hand in the scam. With this, there are various other concerns that cannot be ignored. So, now Manish Sisodia claiming that everything is a set-up by the opposition party and making this situation a political spectacle for his own benefit rather than owning his shortcomings shows that he and his party want to take the public of Delhi for a ride.
AAP was born out of a civil society movement (“Anna aandolan”). When AAP was initially formed, they talked a lot about the overhaul of the system (Vyavastha Parivartan)
AAP was born out of a civil society movement (Anna Aandolan). When AAP was initially formed, they talked a lot about the overhaul of the system (Vyavastha Parivartan). They claimed and still to this day Bhrashtachar mukt Bharat meri maang hi nahi, meri jidd hai, and people rallied behind this ideology with more gusto like Niklo bahar makhaano se, Jung lado beimaanon se. Not only Indian nationals but Indians across the world came out in support with the hope that this party (AAP) would be a party with a difference. In its constitution, AAP laid down three basic principles:
1. Each and every donation given to the party would be displayed in the
public domain.
2. They will not fall into the trap of ‘high command’ culture so widely spread in Indian political culture and create inner-party democracy. The candidates for the election would be selected via public mandate or members of the party without any influence of high command.
3. They will give prominence to vigilance over themselves and promised to appoint an ‘Internal Lokpal’ for
the party.
Betraying Principles
But when we look back, we realise that a party that came out of the Jan Lokpal Bill aandolan has completely disintegrated into a mockery in the last 10 years. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has systematically destroyed each and every principle of the party. AAP could have been a beacon of hope by bringing in the politics of Suchita, but they clearly were not up to mark. In fact, they did not even have the intention too. The way AAP has conducted itself has societal consequences. People have become cynical about political reforms. Because when activists betray their own core principles, society feels the heat in form of backstabbing and mistrust.
Furthermore, Punjab – sick of corruption from Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – voted AAP into power to get rid of traditional politics. However, very soon, it started getting taste of the deceit of AAP. The deteriorating law and order situation in the border State of Punjab is a worrisome sign. Similarly, corruption charges against Dr Vijay Singla-Health minister, who had to resig-show that AAP is no harbinger of change.
Having been associated with the ‘Anna Movement’ and also being a core team member of AAP in the past, in a way, I feel a sigh of relief that the wrongs they have committed are now being exposed. Their duplicity and immorality coming to the fore are the sign of natural justice. I am of the firm opinion that a party that betrays the people and deviates from its core principles, viz., financial transparency (as they hid the donors’ list with the cooked-up excuse that the opposition might harass the donors) has no moral right to preach idealism and must wither away.
