Recently I met a supporter of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is a political party contesting assembly election in Delhi. To call him merely a supporter would be a grave understatement, so I shall call him a “Fanatic Supporter”. He started talking about AAP’s success in getting funds and his success in convincing some young educated ladies about the need to support AAP over any other political party. I decided to test his mantle and here is what transpired:
Fanatic Supporter (FS) talks about Arvind Kejriwal and his party Aam Aadmi Party and prospects in Delhi
Rahul: Is it that Kejriwal ji is fighting as CM candidate in Delhi? Don’t you think that it makes AAP merely a “regional party”, or “one of the regional parties” to be precise?
FS: Yes, but we had to start from somewhere. So choosing a state was important.
Rahul: But all your policies were national in nature. Take any policy which AAP tried to champion. Take Jan Lokpal for example. Will Kejriwal or AAP get to pass it even if he becomes CM of Delhi assembly?
FS: No. But what was alternative?
Rahul: The expected thing was that Kejriwal could remain in national politics and ask someone else to lead in Delhi. But it seems Kejriwal either does not trust anyone else, or else he is insecure and is betting whatever he has on Delhi elections! Further, why in Delhi?
FS: It is Delhi; it could be any other state…
Rahul: Anna Hazare’s Jan Lokpal agitation had got great response only in Delhi which is political capital of India with so many universities and their students oriented in politics! They failed disastrously in Mumbai; remember? So Delhi is an “easy way out”! It is fine to choose whatever place you have best chances in, but what of national issues?
FS: AAP and Kejriwal will keep fighting for national issues.
Rahul: How can you fight for national issues while being in state assembly? If you have to raise voice about Jan Lokpal, or for inclusion of political parties under RTI, you have to be in the Parliament and not in assembly! What disappoints me is the fact that during this whole time AAP and Kejriwal have been raising all issues of national importance, but when it came to fight elections, they have gone to a state! It strengthens the accusation of personal ambitions on him…
FS: (becomes infuriated) How can I talk to you, you are not talking sense. You don’t know anything, blah blah…
Rahul: Let us take any other issue of your interest. Let us take demand of bringing political parties under RTI ambit. I know AAP’s stand on that; tell me why should political parties be brought under TRI?
FS: Tell me why should not those be brought under RTI?
Rahul: Because intent of RTI is to bring transparency and accountability in govt. departments and govt organizations. Political parties are not govt organizations and hence they can’t be brought under RTI.
If you appear for an interview of Wipro or Infosys and are not selected. Can you file RTI to get info on why you were not selected? RTI is not the one and only method to bring transparency in this whole world. If political parties will be included under RTI what do you think will happen? Con Party wallahs will keep filing RTI against BJP wallahs, BJP wallahs will keep filing RTI against Con Party wallahs and this whole nation will be a mess!
FS: But they take money and do not disclose the source!
Rahul: So you are talking about need to bring transparency in elections funding. If existing laws are not sufficient, we can make new laws to ensure that. But it has nothing to force us to go the RTI route only.
FS: But AAP is always transparent… It discloses names of all donators.
Rahul: AAP has also hired many agencies to raise funds and said it does not know from which agency money is coming. Let us not pretend that AAP is so transparent.
FS: (infuriated and agitated; as if he will start a street fight) No. AAP has not hired any agency; you are not telling truth. Blah blah.
Rahul: I will send you link to the news article.
The fanatic supporter started to retreat and get away from me.
Next week I sent him this news article. FS never responded back. From next meeting he started avoiding talking to me. So it seems an average fanatic AAP supporter won’t be a perfect fit in this imperfect world!
