Leaders Vs Bureaucrats
By Insaf
The nation’s capital, Delhi, rather any other State in the country, wouldn’t have seen anything like this before. Actions of government departments being nothing short of unacceptable and indefensible! On Wednesday last, the elected AAP government woke up to a rude shock. The departments of Women and Child Development and Health issued public notices distancing themselves from the promised schemes of providing Rs 2,100 to women (Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana) and free treatment for elderly (Sanjeevani Yojana), days after Chief Minister Atishi and AAP convenor Kejriwal announced it with much fanfare. The depts cautioned people “against providing personal details to anyone on pretext of registration for ‘non-existent’ schemes, saying any private individual or political party collecting such physical forms or information is ‘fraudulent and without any authority’” Bureaucrats are forgetting they are not elected representatives of the people; they can’t act such. Says Kejriwal ‘BJP is rattled by the schemes and shall in coming days even ‘arrest Atishi in false case’. The BJP claims secretaries in both departments say there’s no such schemes and not notified by Govt of Delhi. But wasn’t that the case in Maharashtra when its ruling combine offered schemes for the women? Atishi has warned strict administrative action will be taken against the two officers. It must, else it would set a dangerous precedent for a democratic society.
INDIA Bloc Stability?
Delhi is also sending out wrong signals to the polity. The ensuing Assembly elections are turning out to be a conundrum for the voter. Who is on whose side? Who is the real enemy? Who is running the Delhi government—AAP or the bureaucracy? Nagging questions arising out of the events unfolding. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has accused INDIA bloc partner Congress of colluding with rival BJP to harm not only Kejriwal’s prospects, but the bloc’s unity itself. At a press conference on Thursday last, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh demanded disciplinary action against Congress leader Ajay Maken within 24 hours and said if no step is taken, “we will ask the other parties in the alliance to remove the Congress from INDIA bloc.” The AAP claimed “it hasn’t uttered a single word against Congress during Haryana polls, yet Congress seems to be reading out from BJP’s script. Its candidates’ list looks as if it was finalised at the BJP office… Maken has crossed all limits by calling Arvind Kejriwal anti-national. Despite campaigning for Congress in past elections, Kejriwal now faces an FIR, while Congress had never filed a single FIR against any BJP leader!” The bickering won’t help. With both the AAP and Congress fighting each other, BJP can hope of being the winner in the triangular contest!
Relief For Kerala?
Should Kerala and Manipur hope for better times ahead? For the former it looks like a certainty, but for the latter it could go either way. The two states are part of five where new appointments have been made for Raj Bhavans on Tuesday last. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has been shifted out from Kerala after 5 years to Bihar, which should bring cheer to the Left government, as it’s been at constant loggerheads. Issues include appointments made in universities as Vice Chancellor; Khan’s move to keep away from Policy Address in Assembly; asking Chief Minister Vijayan to act against his Finance Minister, who ‘ceased to enjoy the governor’s pleasure’; sitting over Bills, etc. It is said God’s own country had never seen such constant power tussles between Raj Bhavan and government before. In fact, Vijayan had last year sought urgent intervention of President Murmu and even recommended Khan’s recall. With Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar taking over the state, the government hopes to get a breather.
Manipur Governor
Likewise, the Raj Bhavan in Manipur is getting former Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as its new incumbent. The choice is being seen as significant given that it’s close to 18 months and normalcy is a far cry in the strife-torn state. North block feels he may just be able to get the elusive dialogue started between the warring factions, Kukis and Meities and facilitate a solution to the ethnic violence and divide. The plus point in his favour is his extensive experience of handling crisis such as ‘J&K after abrogation of Article 370, CAA protests, Northeast Delhi riots’. Besides, as he’s been closely associated with operations in the state, he may have the Centre heed his advice. However, there’s a different opinion altogether: “if as Home Secretary and all the powers he had he couldn’t achieve success, what can he do as a Governor?” On X, a former bureaucrat posted:’ The one who couldn’t manage it from Delhi is now expected to oversee it. A sign that President’s rule may be soon imposed – after months of chaos.’ Surely, not the right solution!
‘Intolerance’ In Patna
Bihar’s capital Patna has sent worrying signals. At an event, ‘Main Atal Rahunga’, a platform to recall the contributions of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary, a protest by some 50-odd participants erupted when folk singer Devi sang the lines “Ishwar Allah tero naam (Ishwar and Allah are your names)” during her rendition of Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram. She was taken aback and was forced to stop singing the bhajan, which has been closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi. Even BJP leaders present there, Shahnawaz Hussain (Union Minister under Vajpayee), former Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, who organised the event along with NGO Dinker Shodh Sansthan, Dr C P Thakur and Sanjay Paswan, were stumped. It should not have happened was a common refrain as the disruption was ‘height of intolerance.’ Though a section of the crowd was pacified, she was asked to sing another and so she sang a Chhath song. Not only was she embarrassed but the BJP lot too. The big question is will they do something about it or their concern can be termed as crocodile tears? — INFA