Arvind Kejriwal goes back to 'anarchist' ways, kicks off a 10-day dharna in heart of Delhi

NEW DELHI: Political anarchy or political innovation? Principled stand or just another manifestation of short-term poll politics? Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday started what he said will be a 10-day dharna at the heart of central government's administrative complex and described himself as an "anarchist". His team members told ET that the CM plans to spend nights on the road as well.

The unprecedented sight of a CM in full agitational mode — the spectacle, incidentally, made more unusual by IAF fighter jets zipping overhead as part of Republic Day rehearsals — enthused AAP cadre and leaders, attracted a huge media scrum, but it also threw city traffic out of gear, got Union minister Manish Tewari mobbed by protestors and had independent observers and ex-administrators worried. Kejriwal was protesting the Union home ministry's refusal to punish five Delhi Police officials who the Aam Aadmi Party accuses of "misconduct" and "failure to carry out public duty".

The home ministry has said it must wait for results of an enquiry ordered after AAP's complaints. "I urge everyone to come and join me in the protest," Kejriwal said. "Why am I Delhi CM if I have no say in anything?" he told party faithfuls thronging the dharna site, with 1,300 cops keeping a close watch on proceedings. Late in the evening, the Delhi chief minister threatened a nationwide protest if his demands were not met by Tuesday.

Notable AAP joinees such as former Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan said "there's nothing wrong" with Kejriwal's demand or modus operandi. Revanthy Ashok, a senior member of Bangalore Political Action Committee, a pressure group that predates AAP, said while she's not "entirely comfortable" with the dharna, "extreme situations call for extreme actions". "This is a new way to draw attention".
Sociologist Shiv Vishvanathan was also sympathetic: "Kejriwal is just challenging the set ways of democracy." But there were voices of sharp dissent. JNU political scientist Sudha Pai argued "this type of agitational politics will not work." She said the CM's dharna was aimed at "Lok Sabha poll campaign". But the danger is, Pai said, "voters will soon see it as another political gimmick".

Pai also argued AAP risks losing its support base. "Very soon, (the) middle class and professionals would be disillusioned. Yes, people are fed up of law not being implemented, so they could support him initially. But not for long. Already educated people who had supported him and joined his party like Captain GR Gopinath have spoken against him.

In the long run, this will not work." Ajay Shah, an economist and a prominent voice in public affairs, said Kejriwal is confusing the drama of protest with real action. Shah said AAP was given the chance "to deliver public good to Delhi citizens…to solve administrative puzzles that prevent better service". Shah said Kejriwal "has enormous powers and opportunity… he should have first delivered more…Delhi needs Kejriwal the engineer, not Kejriwal the protestor".

Distinguished professor, Shiv Nadar University, Dipankar Gupta, said Kejriwal's priority should have been better administration. "I think he should have taken more time to deliver tangibles… getting cops transferred is not a tangible," Gupta said.

Former senior police officials and government secretaries said Monday's dharna and more agitations like this in the next few days not just represent a significant law and order problem, it also takes attention away from the more substantive debate on Delhi Police's reporting structure. "I am here to spread anarchy-…to get our message across loud and clear," the Delhi CM told the city, and through blanket TV coverage, the entire nation.