Mani Shankar Aiyar
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n the last 49 days, we have seen:
A public swearing-in that has cost the exchequer many lakhs for a function that is normally held in Raj Niwas (for the cost of a few samosas and jalebis), yet telecast to all the millions who would have liked to muscle in on the event.
Ministers travelling to the venue by Metro but leaving the Ramlila grounds in swish cars, the tailpiece being the front-page photograph which showed two of the ministers riding below a sign which clearly said “LADIES ONLY”!
A young lady minister driving the cops to take action against a six-year old boy playing cricket with a tennis ball that had accidentally hit her car.The Law Minister attempting to summon all Delhi High Court judges to his chambers. And upbraiding his law secretary for arguing that the fundamental Constitutional order separating the judiciary from the executive stood in the way of his carrying out the minister’s order.
The same minister, with a posse of other ministers, officials and slogan-mongering supporters, threatening a Station House Officer with dire consequences if the SHO refused to obey their injunction that he raid a private residence without a warrant.
Then, as widely reported, getting women of African origin to urinate in public to get samples to prove their charge that our foreign guests were consuming and trafficking in drugs.
And on AIIMS finding that there were no traces of illegal substances in the samples, the IIT engineer Chief Minister transmogrifying into a medical expert asserting that drugs were not found because only urine samples were taken, not blood!
That same CM then getting two adjacent residences, containing a total of ten bedrooms, done up at huge expense for his day-and-night exertions, only to then toss his shawl around his shoulders- and refuse to move in, because the mohalla sabhas convened by his Party stalwarts disapproved
Spawning mohalla sabhas without specifying who would be responsible to the mohalla sabhas, thus converting them into hulla-gulla sabhas for the CM’s topi-wearing shouting brigade.
The CM’s day-and night exertions then leading to a “policy” decision to promise free household water supplies to those whose meters showed they had restricted their consumption to the prescribed maximum, but leaving all those without meters – that is, the really poor – to the rapacity of the Delhi Jal Board.
Taking a second “policy” decision to write off the electricity dues of all those who had defaulted at the behest of the said IIT engineer who had campaigned “differently” by climbing ladders to cut off wires leading to meters, thus proving that he really had learned some electrical engineering at Kharagpur. But then not refunding the payments made by honest citizens, thus proving that the engineer had learned a great deal about evasion of dues from his years in the Indian Revenue Service.
Bringing the capital’s bureaucratic heart to a standstill, and exposing the Republic Day parade to the most serious security threat ever, by wrapping himself in the most comfy blankets and warm clothing (and, of course, his trademark muffler – not available to the pavement dwelling aam aadmi even on the coldest nights) to sleep through a wonderful publicity-driven star-lit night in the open. And for what? To protest against the police for the police observing the laws of arrest and detention!
Abusing in the vilest language a Constitutional authority, the Lieutenant Governor, when the LG’s only crime was that he wanted to consult the legal authorities on a tricky Constitutional question
Followed by the CM remaining up all night to read the Constitution himself and coming to conclusions that directly contradicted the conclusions of experts in jurisprudence who had not had the benefit of the CM’s training in engineering and revenue collection, but had merely spent a left-time learning and practicing the law!
Finally, attempting to table legislation that he knew would not have the majority to even be introduced, flying in the face of his own advice to others to build a consensus before rushing through new laws.
Haplessly watching this farce is my friend and guru, Yogendra Yadav, a psephologist of genius, an academic of high-standing, a man of impeccable integrity. As I see his sad spaniel eyes peering over Kejriwal’s shoulders, I am reminded of Shakespeare’s Polonius – given all the space he needs to pontificate but, alas, with no one listening. I only hope Yogendra is not stabbed metaphorically by one of his own, as Polonius literally is in “Hamlet”.
Well, folks, the entertainment’s over. For 49 days you were given your money’s worth. The circus has now packed up, but they’ll be back next May with lots of new tricks up their sleeves and many more clowns to keep you rocking with laughter on your benches.
Thank you. And goodbye.
Courtesy: NDTV
