How AAP and BJP are fooling the Delhi voter
As the Delhi election date comes closer we are seeing a lot many people unmasked, their agenda truly exposed. There are three parties in the fray, but two of them, the AAP and the BJP, go to the polls as failures who couldn't fulfill their promises to the voters. Last year's elections led to a split verdict that exposed the hollow and empty promises that were made to the people of Delhi by the AAP and also the BJP. Here is what Delhi voters should ponder before they cast their votes for any of the party this time.
Both the BJP and the AAP have only given the people a lot of rhetoric and haven't been able to match the same with deliverables. AAP, after realising that it could not provide governance or deliver on any of their electoral promises, chose to run away from the responsibility in 49 days. Arvind Kejriwal, if we recall, was the chief minister last year when he skipped the Republic Day celebrations and preferred to sit on a dharna to demand full charge of Delhi police from the Indian home ministry, ostensibly for better accountability. However this very "aam aadmi", and since Delhi is in poll mode, as a typical political opportunist is accusing the central government for not being invited as the "protocol" demands. Kejriwal says as per the norms and as Delhi ex CM he should have been invited for the Republic Day celebrations. What he isn't aware of is that even a three term Congress CM hasn't been invited; it is another thing that only AAP can use anything for political gains, like clutching at straws to be in power.
Kejriwal has spoken much on the VIP culture but has been guilty of enjoying the perks of power. Whether it was the home allotted to him as the CM or about his security he was a master of U-turns during his tenure. Considering nothing changed despite their demand to let police come under state government control, isn't it hypocritical that after mocking the Indian constitution and democratic principles he now chooses to use these very systems to get elected back to power? Kejriwal, has done a U-turn on his every single promise, while in power, also when out of it. He spoke of providing Delhi clean politics and candidates to change how aam aadmi perceive politics and politicians - but his current list for the upcoming Delhi elections has candidates that have not just hopped from other parties but are also people with serious criminal records that range from corruption to intimidation. Clearly a man who has taken a U-turn on every promise is certainly not a man you can trust again.
While the AAP gave up its claim to power in Delhi, the BJP government at the centre which is now responsible to ensure Delhi is governed well under the Lieutenant Governor has also disappointed the people of Delhi. The BJP had raised three important issues during the Assembly and general elections, mainly price rise, women's safety and better law and order. The central home ministry to whom the Delhi Police reports to has seen crime against women rise by almost 40 per cent ever since they were voted to power in the centre, without a doubt the agenda changed after getting votes on these promises. The BJP government has also not just been silent but have been mute spectators to the rising attacks on churches across Delhi.While talking of Delhi how can one forget the communal riots that took place in Trilokpuri? BJP's agenda for Delhi has swiftly moved from development to creating religious divide to gain politically. Now for inflation, we yet again see the discrepancy between the falling global crude prices versus what Delhi or other states have to end up paying for petrol and diesel. They spoke about rising prices of fruits and vegetables, the government has failed there yet again. Both the AAP and the BJP have caused disappointment to the voters that chose them for change.
The BJP in its quest to gain power has been busy inducting people from various parties and has roped in Kiran Bedi, an "apolitical" CM candidate. Whether Kiran Bedi was apolitical during India Against Corruption movement was recently exposed by her ex colleague Kumar Vishwas who said they were asked not to speak against the BJP corruption. Considering all of them chose to toe that line speaks volumes of their complicity in the entire movement that is now evidently obvious was stage managed by the RSS and the BJP to come to power. Again a question that needs to be asked is the silence of all these players on the issues of corruption, lokpal, CIC commissioner and pending RTI queries. The silence of Kiran Bedi on all these issues is indeed hypocritical.
Delhi has seen the governance of BJP that changed three CMs in its five year term, Delhi also saw an AAP CM who ran away from responsibility after 49 days and Delhi has also seen a Congress CM that governed for three successive terms. Delhi voters now have to decide who to choose; do they want stability and sustained good governance in their state or the empty rhetorical promises and opportunistic politics of both the BJP and AAP?