Kejriwal’s opposition to ED needs stronger orientation

It remained largely unnoticed how Indians were captivated by a medieval debate during the concluding days of 2023. Indians were engaged in a fierce wordy duel over celebrating the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The BJP governments in the State and at the center put all their energy into making it a national issue and dragged the entire political class into it. However, involvement in a religious activity did not change the heart of the ruling party. Talking Ram all day long did not make it slightly compassionate towards its opponent. It continued to strike hard at the opposition parties. All the central agencies were working overtime to chase opposition politicians across the States. The Income Tax Department raided a Congress MP from Jharkhand and seized Rs 350 crore. The ED remained busy scanning for Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. His arrest is supposed to be imminent, and the possibility has led him to plan an alternative government after his arrest. Another chief minister who has been on the hit list of the Enforcement Directorate is Arvind Kejriwal. The ED has implicated him in the Excise Policy Scam. Two top leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are already in prison. Likely, the arrest of the Delhi government will lead to the fall of the Delhi government. It is hard to think that his party will survive after he disappears from the scene. How can a party that functions solely according to the will of a person survive after he is not in day-to-day functioning?

The media, as usual, is discussing all the irrelevant questions. The media questions why Kejriwal has been evading summons by the ED and how it was inspired by the fear of his arrest. It is erroneous to portray that the fear of imprisonment led Kejriwal to evade ED’s summons. This is only subscribing to the BJP’s allegations. BJP leaders have been alleging that the Delhi Chief Minister is afraid of being arrested. This is a distortion of what Kejriwal and his party leaders are saying. They are trying to make the point that the ED is trying to create the impression that the leader was interrogated, and his interrogations led them to make an arrest. This is nothing but legitimizing a premeditated decision, and AAP leaders are trying to expose the drama that has become the signature of ED’s actions. This includes summons, interrogations, raids, and arrests. Since raids on a chief minister may not look good, Kejriwal might have been summoned to be arrested. The BJP’s clamor and media chorus that Kejriwal is fearful are part of propaganda. Kejriwal’s allegation has substance—that his image as an honest person is being destroyed. The excise policy scam involving Kejriwal’s government has exposed weak judicial interventions as well. The proceedings in the court and the verdict of the Supreme Court on Manish Sisodia’s bail plea were completely divergent. Justice Sanjiv Khanna remarked that, except for the statement of a co-accused turned approver, the prosecution did not have any proof against Sisodia. Justice Khanna had also said that ED’s arguments would fall flat after two questions in the cross-examinations. However, rejecting the bail plea, the verdict said,” "However, there is one clear ground or charge in the complaint filed under the PMLA which is free from perceptible legal challenge and the facts as alleged are tentatively supported by material evidence.”

The reason behind targeting Kejriwal is explicit. We can see a correlation with his increasing association with the opposition alliance. Initially, his response to the INDIA alliance was largely negative. His appearance in the Patna conclave of the INDIA alliance ended in a disaster. However, he recovered from the syndrome of considering himself the smartest politician in the country. He realized that only collective actions against the current regime could save the opposition parties from the highhandedness of the current regime. He not only attended the meetings of the INDIA alliance but also advocated a strong bond among the alliance partners.

The change in the political stance of Kejriwal. He seems to have abandoned his soft Hindutva line. He is cautious when making statements that may be construed as pro-Hindutva.

Why is the BJP worried about Kejriwal’s association with the INDIA Alliance? If we look at the sphere of influence of the Aam Aadmi Party, it becomes clear that the party can influence the outcome of the 2024 polls in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Gujarat. The BJP has won all the Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat. With the AAP in the alliance, the INDIA alliance can significantly influence results in these States. This possibility has made the BJP leadership restless. This is the reason behind the ED’s tightening noose on Kejriwal.

It is hardly a secret that the ED is acting at the behest of the BJP, and the poll programs guide its summons, raids, and arrests. We are aware that 96 percent of its cases involving politicians are related to opposition leaders. The recent case of summoning two Dalit farmers from Salem district in Tamil Nadu has taken people by surprise. They have Rs 450 in their account and live on a Rs 1000 pension given by the government. They have to pledge land to appear before the ED because they do not have money to travel to the government agency. They hardly know why they have been summoned. The only crime they have done is that they fought against the local BJP secretary to save their land. The BJP leader was trying to grab their land.

Can the BJP be able to return to power with these tactics? Even if it wins, the social and political fabric will be destroyed beyond repair. Opposition leaders, including Kejriwal, Mamata, and Akhilesh, need to understand this aspect of the BJP’s politics. They must close ranks with the INDIA alliance.

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)