Arvind Kejriwal’s repeated attempts of misusing Delhi taxpayers’ funds for self-promotion in contravention of the Supreme Court’s guidelines displays their trickery and hypocrisy and further reduces Arvind Kejriwal's standing in public life.
AAP: Criminal Paradise
AAP’s shifting ideological positions display their indifference towards morality, values, ideologies and even basic ethics. For a party that was born of a movement against corruption, AAP is now embroiled in corruption scandals and has firmly sacrificed anti-corruption plank at the altar of cynical vote-bank politics.
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Arvind Kejriwal has been on a mission to position AAP as the new Congress. Literally. The party is not just trying to occupy the opposition space emptied by the Congress but is also embracing the evil traits of corruption and criminality from the Congress. The AAP has given tickets to wealthy individuals with shady pasts and has been accused of selling tickets for the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha and assembly elections in different states. The party has never given a satisfactory explanation on the allegations of corruption and misdoings.
Corruption:
Arvind Kejriwal’s former principal secretary Rajendra Kumar and four others were arrested by the CBI in connection with a Rs 50-crore scam. One of AAP’s founding members and the No. 2 in the party, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, is being investigated by CBI as well as the Delhi Lokayukta in Delhi liquor scam and multiple cases of corruption. Around 400 liquor licenses, with an average of one shop per working day, had been awarded. Arvind Kejriwal had to scrap the liquor policy as a consequence.
Another cabinet minister, Satyendar Jain is in jail on allegations of money laundering. In a leaked jail video, Jain is seen enjoying a massage from a rapist in a POCSO case. In another video, Jain can be seen beginning an elaborate meal with appetizers and moving on to salads and other delicious and nutritious food items. The video showcases an attendant who is constantly at his service, right from bringing in food to keeping a dustbin near his chair. Packaged drinking water bottles can also be seen in his room. AAP had earlier claimed that Jain had lost 28 kgs as he was not getting proper food. Satyendar Jain continues to be a minister in Arvind Kejriwal’s cabinet and enjoys an allowance of Rs 1600 per day. It is quite remarkable that Arvind Kejriwal who had no qualms about making unfounded allegations when he was not in power, today, rather than taking corrective measures, when confronted said, “I don’t need to answer these questions. [1].
Within a few months of forming the government in Delhi, its Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar was arrested for his fake law degree. Instead of sacking him from his cabinet, Arvind Kejriwal blamed Narendra Modi for hatching a conspiracy. However, to Kejriwal’s embarrassment, Tomar himself accepted his wrongdoings. A Delhi court said that there was sufficient evidence to proceed against AAP MLA from Okhla, Amanatullah Khan, in a case of alleged corruption related to illegal appointments in the Delhi Waqf board. In 2018, the IT department claimed it had found documents that showed AAP’s state transport minister Kailash Gahlot had evaded tax worth Rs 120 crore.
In a mere one-and-a-half years of AAP being in power in Delhi, more than 12 MLAs of the party had been arrested on charges varying from assault to molestation and attempt to murder. Apart from that, three cabinet ministers had to resign on charges of corruption, fake qualifications and rape. Another cabinet minister, Asim Ahmed Khan had to be sacked because an audio tape of him demanding Rs 6 lakh as a bribe came to light. Communications in-charge of the party, Vijay Nair, is also being investigated for irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case.
AAP councilor from East Delhi Municipal Corporation, Geeta Rawat was arrested by CBI on charges of bribery and corruption. Its transport minister was accused of Corruption and scams and had to be dropped from the ministry.
A special court in Delhi ordered the filing of corruption charges against Delhi Commission of Women chairperson and AAP supporter Swati Maliwal for misusing her position to appoint AAP workers to various positions in the organization.
AAP’s Punjab government had to sack its Health Minister, Vijay Singla over allegations of corruption by seeking 1% commission on tenders for contracts etc.
Crime:
Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has accused AAP Councilor Tahir Hussain of planning Delhi riots of 2020. Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhatt said, “He was not a mute spectator but was taking an active part in the riots and instigating other members of the unlawful assembly to teach a lesson to the persons belonging to the other community.” The court said, “The referred circumstances nowhere indicate that it was a spontaneous act but clearly reveal that there had been an agreement between the accused herein to commit vandalization and arson in the properties belonging to Hindu community from the building E-17 belonging to accused Tahir Hussain,”. “Elaborate preparations had been done to fulfil the object of the agreement or conspiracy.” AAP leaders were seen trying to defend Tahir Hussain. Earlier, a court has convicted AAP MLAs Akhilesh Pati Tripathi and Sanjeev Jha for being part of a mob that attacked policemen at the Burari police station in north Delhi in 2015.
Former Law Minister Somnath Bharti’s wife filed a case of domestic violence against him. Even this time Kejriwal accused the BJP of a conspiracy. Bharti played hide-and-seek with the law till the Supreme Court ordered his arrest.
In 2016, most of 67 AAP MLAs, had a case registered against them. In recent Gujarat elections, AAP topped the list of candidates with criminal cases against them with 61 candidates having a criminal background. As far as candidates with serious crimes are concerned, AAP topped the list with 43 candidates. In Punjab, 57% of its MLAs face criminal charges. In the current Delhi assembly, 61% of AAP’s MLAs have criminal cases against them. 53% of its MLAs have serious criminal cases.
Conclusion:
Kejriwal is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. His shifting ideological positions display his lack of principles. AAP’s alleged dalliance with Khalistani separatists and their ambivalence on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism exposed by their questioning of the Uri surgical strike in 2016 and the Balakot air attack deep into Pakistan in 2019, reveals Arvind Kejriwal’s indifference towards morality, values, ideologies and even basic ethics. Arvind Kejriwal finds principles and ethics boring and dated. He only understands and speaks the language of votes.
With one skeleton after another tumbling out of its closet in quick succession, the AAP has been thrown down from a high moral pedestal in a short span of time. For a party that was born of a movement against corruption (India Against Corruption), AAP is now embroiled in corruption scandals and some of its key leaders are either jailed or under investigation in high-profile cases. The party has firmly sacrificed anti-corruption plank at the altar of cynical vote-bank politics. The people gave an absolute majority and thus absolute power to AAP. So much faith of the people can either make you a monk or a monster. AAP chose the latter.
Tags: Aam Aadmi Party
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