During the last week’s stand off in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal blackmailed the Congress Government to accept his demand for the suspension of the police officers involved in the Somnath Bharti incident without taking any action against Mr Somnath Bharti. This was considered a climb down for AAP as much as a give in for the Congress. It was subsequently reported that RG disapproved of the move to let the cornered AAP get away.
It was obvious that one of the reasons why Congress relented was that Mr Kejriwal had threatened that he would disrupt the Republic Day parade and “AAM Admi’s will march on Rajpath on the Republic Day”. If this threat had been carried out, there would have been chaos in the city and made international headlines. Congress had neither the guts to take the threat nor perhaps the ability to control such a citizen upsurge though the international community would have clearly seen that this serious threat was based on a relatively insignificant event and AAP would have lost more of its dwindling credibility.
Any way Congress thought that discretion was the better part of valour and avoided a confrontation. Hopefully the Republic Day would pass off without major incidents. Once the day passes off, the blackmail of AAP would be no longer relevant and Congress would be capable of confronting AAP on a more even terrain.
It is therefore time for Congress to show its own capability to administer the country and putting down the anarchist tendencies of AAP before the next trigger comes in the form of an assembly session in the Ram Lila grounds.
Congress has the choice of procrastinating again and swallow its pride and see AAP disrupt the city once again. This will be true to the approach of Dr MMS if he is the person under control. But of RG is in control, it is time to show that Congress cannot be taken lightly.
Congress need to also consider the possibility that if AAP is given any longer rope, they may strangle the Congress itself with some action against Sheila Dikshit. At the present AAP has discredited itself enough for Congress to consider that AAP has outlived its utility for Congress.
It is therefore expected that immediately after the Republic day parade is over, Congress may think of withdrawing its support to the Delhi Government so that LT may ask Kejriwal to prove his majority once again on the floor of the house in the next two or three days to put a bind on AAP. Congress also has enough ground with FIRs being filed against the Law Minister and the Chief Minister of Delhi to even immediately dismiss the Government without the need for a floor test.
We can expect therefore some drama in Delhi in the next few days.
Naavi
