I have always opined that ‘corruption’ in India is systemic and it is a cesspool. Unless common men or women of integrity rise to fight corruption and clean the system of this disease, our nation will continue to experience sinking sand in governmental procedures. It is like termites eating at the wood of our democratic rights and principles
The India Against Corruption (IAC) ignited hope in millions of Indians across the country and internationally too. The yolk of corruption has been a burden on ‘Aam Aadmi’ for decades because of corrupt politicians, equally corrupt bureaucrats, and a weak system of justice which at most times fails to uphold the rights of the common citizens due to years spent in the corridors of the court fighting corrupt officials, politicians and a corrupt system.
Through the IAC movement, people expected to solve problems brought on by corruption and believed in the new crop of activists led by Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal, and thousands of bright educated young men and women who stood up to make a difference against what was then seen as a corrupt and dynastic political class of people ruining India. People believed in them because the revolution was apolitical.
I remember, Arvind Kejriwal in an interview with Arnab Goswami, won the hearts of the people across India when he stated that he would never join politics. It was at this time, that I sensed that Arvind Kejriwal is a charlatan and he would need to be in politics to exercise his sharp mind to do exactly what he promised to change – corruption and all that he was talking about and dreams he was building around his idealistic politics based on activism and integrity is nothing but a ‘Fugasi’. To change the systemic problem of corruption in this country, one, without a doubt, has to be in politics because the accentuation of the corrupt practices gets its patronage from politics and bureaucracy, If one wants to eradicate corruption in India, one needs to get into politics and maintain the highest level of integrity and patience to slowly clean the cesspool. It cannot be done at an apolitical level because you can only change the cesspool with strict laws against corruption and strict adherence to the laws framed.
Arvind Kejriwal to me is a political charlatan. He has through his conniving nature allured people to believe in his brand of politics – people of vote for him and his brands of politics – this includes even his inner circle of trusted political colleagues. In fact, over the years, you would have witnessed that many of Arvind Kejriwal’s close aides do not remain with him because they slowly learn about his real megalomaniac intent in politics and they see him for the charlatan that he truly is. I remember talking to two former AAP leaders, who were at the center stage of the AAP political movement and have now left AAP to join another political party and they tell me stories about the crooked, anarchist, and narcissistic minds of Arvind Kejriwal and this happened after he won the Delhi elections. People who voted for AAP, voted because they believed that Arvind Kejriwal was a ‘Political Messiah’ who had come to bring them closer to the door of salvation. Little did they realize that Arvind Kejriwal was not a political messiah but a political opportunist who knew how to exploit the people of Delhi and then repeated the same in Punjab. He is not an angel of light, though, he assumes he is one, but he is a fallen angel and a dangerous one who like Lucifer – a fallen angel thinks he is the God of Indian politics.
In the controversial Delhi Excise Policy case, investigative agencies have informed through media that under the new excise policy, the profit margins of wholesalers were arbitrarily increased from 5 percent to 12 percent. The agencies further expressed to certain sections in the media that the new excise policy resulted in cartelization and shockingly those who were ineligible for liquor licenses were favored for monetary benefits. The Supreme Court in its noting stated that a money trail of Rs 338 crore had been ‘tentatively established’ and that the ‘rule of law applies equally to all citizens and institutions, including the state’. The Enforcement Directorate alleged that Rs 100 crore as kickbacks received in the Delhi Excise Policy was used by the AAP in the Goa Assembly Election 2022. The Supreme Court in its noting stated that, “While the Rs 100 crore is a matter of debate. There is, though, evidence and material that indicated that Rs 45 crore was transferred through Hawala for the Goa Election and used by AAP.” It is important to note that the Supreme Court accepted the claim of the CBI that the Delhi Excise Policy favored and promoted cartelization, noting that large wholesale distributors with high market share were ensured to earn exorbitant profits.”
The moot point in my mind with such startling information surfacing during the investigations is what was the Rs 45 crore used for in the Goa Election and who were the social influencers, media barons, business houses, and religious institutions who have been beneficiaries of the AAP largesse during the Goa Assembly Elections 2022. It would be important for the two MLAs in Goa – Cruz Silva and Venzy Viegas and AAP party leaders in Goa to be called for questioning in the weeks ahead. It is known in the political circles in Goa that Punjab and Goa were the responsibility put on the shoulders of Vijay Nair, who is now arrested.
It is only a matter of time until the real kingpin of the Delhi Excise Policy comes to light. Having been following this case minutely, I know that Arvind Kejriwal is no saint and he has played a critical role in rolling out the Delhi Excise Policy. But he is not so naive and is a cunning fox to cover up his tracks so that the blame will not fall on him. However, if either Vijay Nair (the dealing hand in the Delhi Excise Policy scam) or Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia (the brain behind the planning of the liquor scam camouflaged as a progressive excise policy) confess about the involvement of Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi Excise Policy then it would open up a can of worms for Arvind Kejriwal.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Arvind Kejriwal four times already. He has however decided to do his often-seen drama and play the victim card, and along with him all his political lackeys in the AAP cry vendetta politics. And I find that strategy extremely amusing because even to a common man or woman, whether there is vendetta politics or not, going to questioning in an investigation only brings out your fearlessness and integrity; instead Arvind Kejriwal decides to whine and throw a tantrum over a routine call to questioning by the ED, which is not sticking with most common citizens in India anymore. He is gaining no sympathy but people are getting weary and irritated about his drama.
Now coming to light is another scam – the AAP Mohalla clinics. This too, from the looks of it seems to be an ingenious plan of corruption to make money by allegedly running lakhs of fake pathology and radiology tests on non-existent patients better called ‘Ghost Patients’. The Union Home Ministry has also ordered a CBI probe into the matter of sub-standard medicines in Delhi government hospitals and Mohalla clinics. But it would be interesting to also investigate the actual operations and running of the Mohalla clinics, especially the property itself because there could be a probability that these Mohalla clinics are being leased out to the Delhi government for rent by people linked to AAP or supporters of AAP. So it would be important to find out if the Mohalla clinics are on properties bought by the Delhi government, leased by the Delhi government, or property donated to the Delhi government for its Mohalla clinics.
Arvind Kejriwal came to be a breath of fresh air in politics but is slowly turning out to be a breath of stench which he emanates from his palatial bungalow mocking the ‘Aam Aadmi’ that he vowed to represent, with his charlatan antics and perennial victimhood. It will be difficult for most people in India who had a hope to find solutions to corruption in the country to believe in any anti-corruption movement ever again because of Arvind Kejriwal – the political charlatan.
