Congress is dead, it is no longer an alternative: Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is leading the fight against Covid-19 in Delhi and efforts to bring the capital’s economy back on track. He spoke to DH’s Anand Mishra and Shemin Joy on the Covid-19 pandemic and political situation in the country. In this second part of the interview, Kejriwal explains his positions on AAP, Congress, BJP and the Opposition among others.

During the political crisis in Rajasthan, AAP raised questions about the ability of Congress to retain the pole position against BJP. Why did AAP target Congress instead of BJP?

We targeted both the Congress and the BJP because one is selling and the other is buying MLAs. At a time when China is troubling us at the border and Covid-19 has spread across the country, the top two national parties were fighting in Rajasthan. Who will protect the country from China and coronavirus? I am more bothered about the country. At this time, the central government and the BJP should have taken the entire country together to fight coronavirus and deal with China.

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Instead, they are doing dirty politics and horse-trading of MLAs. Efforts for toppling the government are going on. This is wrong. In many states, voting for one has become as good as voting for the other since MLAs are being bought and sold. The same thing happened first in Goa, then here in Karnataka, then Madhya Pradesh and now Rajasthan. The voters feel completely cheated. There is a vacuum at the national level. The main Opposition party, Congress, is dead, and there seems to be no alternative to the BJP. People are happy with neither the BJP, nor Congress. In such a scenario, an alternative should emerge in the country.

Do you think the Centre has responded well to Chinese aggression at our borders? What else should the Centre do?

China has captured our land, that is clear. The country and we are with the Central government and the Army and we want to get our land back. Nothing less is acceptable. The government is required to take all steps for this. Twenty one of our soldiers were martyred. Any inability to get the land back would be an insult to the martyrdom of our soldiers. For the past so many years we have been trying to befriend China. India should extend the hand of friendship while being cautious. We should be ready for every move of China. We should not be caught off guard.

Secondly, the stand-off is also a big economic opportunity. India’s dependence in terms of imports from China is not healthy. Even our toys are coming from China. This is not good. It would be understandable if we were importing advanced technology from there. We are importing even goods for our daily needs which is affecting local production and jobs. I believe this is the opportunity when the central government should on a war footing create huge production facilities. A sector-wise list of our dependence should be prepared and industrialists should be invited. They should be given all facilities. It will end our dependence on China, create jobs and boost our economy.

When Delhi riots happened, Congress accused AAP of playing second fiddle to BJP. How do you respond to these accusations?

Delhi riots were a blot on the entire country. Everyone knows that the Delhi Police and the entire law and order machinery in Delhi comes under the Central government. At the time the riots took place and even until now, it is only AAP that is asking tough questions and seeking accountability from the BJP and the Centre.

We have said whoever is directly or indirectly involved in these riots must be severely punished but innocent people should not be harassed. For this to happen, an impartial investigation followed by a free and fair trial is a must. Unfortunately, Delhi’s courts themselves have raised serious questions on the fairness of investigations being done by the Delhi Police on riot cases. Delhi High Court recently observed that the Delhi Police is taking the entire judicial system for a ride with its biased investigation.

Another court has said that the police investigation in Delhi riots is directed towards one end. This is concerning. We have also expressed our strong objection to the decision of the Central government-appointed Lt Governor to subvert the judicial process of Delhi riots. The LG invoked extraordinary powers granted by the Constitution to cancel the decision of the Delhi Cabinet and appointed its own public prosecutors for these cases instead of Delhi government panel, as per provisions of law. Through both the above episodes, Congress has been completely silent while we are doing everything we can to secure justice for the victims of Delhi riots.

There is a perception also graining ground that you are no longer anti-BJP in the manner you used to be in the past. Is it because of the need to work with the Centre ruled by the BJP or is there any scare that the BJP-led government could destabilise your government in Delhi as has happened in some other Opposition-ruled states?

My allegiance is with the people of Delhi. If that means I have to go and plead for help with the BJP-ruled Central government, I will do so. This entire episode of surge in Covid cases is one example where we knew that we needed everyone’s support, including Centre, to marshal all the resources to save people’s lives. If at that time I had brought my ego and fought with the BJP-ruled Centre, who would lose?

At the same time, we have repeatedly raised our concerns and protested against the manner in which the Delhi Police, which reports to the Central government, has been investigating the Delhi riots cases. When the Central government cancelled Delhi’s successful home-isolation program, we fought to have it reinstated and managed to do so eventually.

Where do you see yourself and AAP going from here now as the party failed to make much impact in any other state even in Punjab, where your party has four Lok Sabha seats?

Kejriwal has no ambition. It is the idea of Aam Aadmi Party and its brand of politics that has caught people’s imagination across the country. For 70 years, people were told that India is a poor country and that we cannot afford good schools, hospitals, roads, 24X7 electricity etc. In just 5 years, AAP has shown that with an honest government, change is possible. We too can build world-class government schools, clinics, hospitals and give free water, electricity, health and education to our people.

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We are still a young party though and it takes time to expand all over India. We have formed the government thrice in Delhi and are the main opposition in Punjab. No other party has managed to do that in such a short span of time. We want to take our form of politics and governance to all parts of India. For now, our volunteers are helping deal with the coronavirus situation across the country by setting up Oxygen Test Centres in villages and mohallas.

Do you see any political challenge to PM Modi-led BJP in 2024 or the Opposition space is simply eclipsed? Your party decimated Congress in Delhi but what happened to the oldest party in the other states?

It is unfortunate that wherever a Congress government was formed, they ended up selling their MLAs to other parties. In state after state, be it Goa, Karnataka, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and now Rajasthan, Congress MLAs are being bought off. Congress is dead at the national level, and it is no longer an alternative.

At a time when the country is going through an unprecedented time, Congress is busy in internal fights. People’s trust has been severely eroded and they are feeling cheated. What vision can a party give to the country which can't choose its own chief? But 2024 is still a long away and I have faith that the people of this country will come up with an alternative.

Will AAP become an alternative force to the BJP and Congress?

Let's have faith in the people of this country. It will be presumptuous on my part to say that AAP will fill the gap at the national level. Our organisation is very small. But people all over the country definitely respect AAP and love it. We have shown that we can win with honest funding and on the track record of governance. Due to the work done in health, education, electricity, water and now Covid-19 management, people have hope in AAP and want it to rise up to that role. Only time will tell if AAP will be able to fill that vacuum.

Part I — On Delhi’s Covid-19 fight, Centre can take all the credit, responsibility is mine: CM Arvind Kejriwal