Violence erupts at Delhi chief minister's anti-police protest

Arab News
NEW DELHI: Police clashed with protesters led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the first violence during a two-day rally in the heart of India's capital that has put a focus on the radical politics of the man shaking up a national election.
Television images showed a group of police punching and kicking one man after protesters toppled a barricade and surged through police lines at the rally. Other officers beat fallen protesters with sticks.
The clashes subsided quickly but hundreds of protesters remained at the site in one of India's most sensitive areas where top ministries are located. The standoff is a headache for the central government as it prepares for a military parade in the same area on Sunday.
Kejriwal launched the sit-in demonstration to protest against alleged inaction against crime by the city's police force, which is under central government control. He spent the night sleeping outside at the protest site.
"I am of the opinion and perhaps the public is also of the opinion that in any given area, at least 90 percent of the crime happens in connivance with the police," he told supporters after emerging from a blanket in the morning.
Coughing and struggling to speak, he declared that his protest was indefinite. He demanded the resignation of several officers who didn't follow the orders of one of his ministers last week, and said the police should report to him.
The corruption-fighting former activist was elected in December on promises of fixing problems faced by residents of the chaotic city of 16 million people. The protest comes just over a year after thousands of Delhi residents took to the streets to protest the gang-rape of a trainee physiotherapist.
Kejriwal's one-year-old Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man Party, is now trying to leverage its success in Delhi to build a national presence ahead of a general election due by May.
"This kind of effort will increase the Aam Aadmi Party's chances nationally by increasing its visibility," said Arvind Gupta, a telecommunications engineer who took a day off work to go to join supporters at the protest site.
In the first three weeks in office, Kejriwal has transferred dozens of officials accused of graft, slashed electricity and water prices and refused the posh housing and security that comes with his new job in an attack on hated VIP culture.
But he has also been criticised for his style of governing, after a near stampede earlier in January blighted a meeting where he called on Delhi residents to air their grievances and one of his ministers was filmed shouting at police.
The anti-police sit-in has divided opinion. Opponents called it anarchic and unseemly for an elected leader of a major city.
"Delhi aspires to becoming a global city," said Arun Jaitley, a leader of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. "This kind of behaviour that leads to anarchy, where there is complete rejection of the rule of law is totally unacceptable."
But the protest also tapped into deep anger with alleged police corruption and inaction in a city plagued by an epidemic of sex crimes.
His head wrapped in a woolly scarf, Kejriwal called on more supporters to join the protest, a move that could disrupt a military parade due on a nearby avenue on the 64th anniversary of India's constitution.
When an unseasonal rain storm drenched a crowd of a couple of hundred supporters, Kejriwal retreated to his trademark blue Maruti Wagon R, a low-cost car favored by the city's taxi drivers, and held a cramped meeting with aides.
Kejriwal on Monday said he embraced the sobriquet of "anarchist" used by his critics, saying he wanted Delhi's political elite to feel the kind of anarchy that lawlessness brings to the lives of normal citizens.
His row with the police started last week, when one of his ministers was filmed arguing with police during a night raid in a neighbourhood popular with African immigrants. 
Police refused to search a house the minister claimed was being used as a brothel, saying they did not have a warrant to go in.
Topics: AAP BJP Kejriwal Delhi

Related

AS Karnataka —a southern Indian state — goes to polls to elect a new assembly on May 5, campaigning in the state has reached its peak. Political parties in Karnataka are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters. The key parties in the fray are the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).
Five years after the BJP came to power on its own strength or the first time in a southern state, the Congress is confident it can win back Karnataka. The Congress victory in the state is expected to prove crucial for the party in the coming parliamentary polls. It will also spell a major boost for the Congress party in four assembly polls, scheduled for later this year. The Congress and the BJP will be locked in a direct contest in assembly polls in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
Pitching for her party in Karnataka assembly elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has displayed a greater aggressive tone in her campaign, targeting the BJP rule in Karnataka than ever before. While there is nothing surprising about the lady heading an election campaign or contents of her speeches, the difference in her tone and expressions is too conspicuous to be missed. This time around, her speeches are not marked by any passivity or gentleness as she passionately attacked the BJP for having betrayed the people’s mandate. During her first campaign rally in Karnataka, she strongly asked the people to vote for a change. Describing the period of the BJP’s government as “some of the darkest days,” she assertively said, “People want change. The need for change is now, and now.”
Within a week, the people’s verdict will reveal whether they have gone for a change of government or not. The lady has seldom been seen on camera and on stage, while addressing rallies with broad smiles and also varying expressions on her face. She is known to have projected a solemn look, with at times half-a-smile bordering her lips. The expression has usually remained the same, whatever be the content of her address. This scenario appears to have changed totally for Karnataka assembly polls. Her last Friday’s address in Karnataka is marked by a complete change in the style of her campaign speech.
The manner in which Sonia delivered her speech indicates that she is going overboard to personally reach out to the audience and convince them facially, verbally as well as politically. Blaming the BJP government for having served only its “narrow and selfish political ends,” Sonia pointed out that industries were no longer competing to invest in Karnataka. They were leaving Karnataka because of corruption, government interference and infrastructure issues, she said. Committing her party to bring political stability to Karnataka, Sonia also promised to restore the state’s image as a “bright state” of India. The “Congress will ensure that this Karnataka thrives and prospers,” she said.
Sonia’s Karnataka-campaign may be viewed as strategically motivated for several reasons. The tremendous change in her posture clearly reflects that lady is now more conscious than before of her images flashing across the country and the world on television channels, newspapers and the Internet. Her objective is to leave a positive impact and also appear optimistic about prospects of the Congress in Karnataka assembly polls. Perhaps, she is sure that the present-day communication technology can have a strong impact on voters’ decision.
If parliamentary polls were not less than a year away, Karnataka polls may not have mattered much. But with her nature of campaign in the state, Sonia has also set the stage for high-voltage campaigns in the parliamentary polls.
A point made by Sonia, during her speech in Chikamagalur, also indicates that special attention has been paid to strike a personal chemistry between herself and the audience. She reminded the voters of having voted for her mother-in-law in a by-election from Chikamagalur in 1978, which helped Indira Gandhi revive her political fortunes and assume office again as prime minister.
She said: “We can never forget and will never forget that Chikmagalur adopted my mother-in-law Indira Gandhi as your own sister. Thirty-five years ago, the people of Chikmagalur lent Indiraji a helping hand when she needed it most.”
If the BJP fails to return to power in Karnataka, some credit must go to the Congress leader, Sonia Gandhi.

— nilofarsuhrawardy@hotmail.com

NILOFAR SUHRAWARDY

AS Karnataka —a southern Indian state — goes to polls to elect a new assembly on May 5, campaigning in the state has reached its peak. Political parties in Karnataka are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters. The key parties in the fray are the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).
Five years after the BJP came to power on its own strength or the first time in a southern state, the Congress is confident it can win back Karnataka. The Congress victory in the state is expected to prove crucial for the party in the coming parliamentary polls. It will also spell a major boost for the Congress party in four assembly polls, scheduled for later this year. The Congress and the BJP will be locked in a direct contest in assembly polls in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
Pitching for her party in Karnataka assembly elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has displayed a greater aggressive tone in her campaign, targeting the BJP rule in Karnataka than ever before. While there is nothing surprising about the lady heading an election campaign or contents of her speeches, the difference in her tone and expressions is too conspicuous to be missed. This time around, her speeches are not marked by any passivity or gentleness as she passionately attacked the BJP for having betrayed the people’s mandate. During her first campaign rally in Karnataka, she strongly asked the people to vote for a change. Describing the period of the BJP’s government as “some of the darkest days,” she assertively said, “People want change. The need for change is now, and now.”
Within a week, the people’s verdict will reveal whether they have gone for a change of government or not. The lady has seldom been seen on camera and on stage, while addressing rallies with broad smiles and also varying expressions on her face. She is known to have projected a solemn look, with at times half-a-smile bordering her lips. The expression has usually remained the same, whatever be the content of her address. This scenario appears to have changed totally for Karnataka assembly polls. Her last Friday’s address in Karnataka is marked by a complete change in the style of her campaign speech.
The manner in which Sonia delivered her speech indicates that she is going overboard to personally reach out to the audience and convince them facially, verbally as well as politically. Blaming the BJP government for having served only its “narrow and selfish political ends,” Sonia pointed out that industries were no longer competing to invest in Karnataka. They were leaving Karnataka because of corruption, government interference and infrastructure issues, she said. Committing her party to bring political stability to Karnataka, Sonia also promised to restore the state’s image as a “bright state” of India. The “Congress will ensure that this Karnataka thrives and prospers,” she said.
Sonia’s Karnataka-campaign may be viewed as strategically motivated for several reasons. The tremendous change in her posture clearly reflects that lady is now more conscious than before of her images flashing across the country and the world on television channels, newspapers and the Internet. Her objective is to leave a positive impact and also appear optimistic about prospects of the Congress in Karnataka assembly polls. Perhaps, she is sure that the present-day communication technology can have a strong impact on voters’ decision.
If parliamentary polls were not less than a year away, Karnataka polls may not have mattered much. But with her nature of campaign in the state, Sonia has also set the stage for high-voltage campaigns in the parliamentary polls.
A point made by Sonia, during her speech in Chikamagalur, also indicates that special attention has been paid to strike a personal chemistry between herself and the audience. She reminded the voters of having voted for her mother-in-law in a by-election from Chikamagalur in 1978, which helped Indira Gandhi revive her political fortunes and assume office again as prime minister.
She said: “We can never forget and will never forget that Chikmagalur adopted my mother-in-law Indira Gandhi as your own sister. Thirty-five years ago, the people of Chikmagalur lent Indiraji a helping hand when she needed it most.”
If the BJP fails to return to power in Karnataka, some credit must go to the Congress leader, Sonia Gandhi.

— nilofarsuhrawardy@hotmail.com

NILOFAR SUHRAWARDY

Meeting a friend in his avatar as a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (Common Man’s Party) required cultural adjustment. Where should we meet? Certainly not on the exclusive floors of five-star hotels where seasoned politicians seek privacy as do captains of industry.
The India International Center, Habitat, even the India Islamic Center have the right ambience but they require membership and so cannot qualify as an Aam Aadmi rendezvous. What we, my friend and I, were looking for was the old fashioned Coffee House where teachers, students, journalists, artists, politicians once mingled inexpensively. Shall we look forward to a chain of Aam Aadmi Coffee Houses across the country?
The party, which exploded on the scene with the suddenness of revelation, simply does not have the time to stitch together a national organization before the general elections in May 2014. But there is a spontaneous local growth of AAP in the states in the aftermath of the Delhi results.
Should AAP concentrate on 80 Lok Sabha seats or spread itself across 240 in a house of 543? Opinion in the party is divided on this. It already claims some organizational presence across 300 districts. The surge in Delhi had reverberations even in states where its presence was less than rudimentary — Tamil Nadu, for instance, where its helpline crashed because of overloading.
Depending on the demands that Delhi makes on the leadership, the party would like to start working early for state elections in Maharashtra and Haryana due in October. It is particularly well placed in Haryana because some of its better-known leaders like Yogendra Yadav live in that state. This is the reason why his name does not figure in AAP Delhi cabinet. Prashant Bhushan has also kept himself out of government. He can now organize the party’s informal think tank and cast his eye on a wider turf for the general election and beyond.
Delhi, where AAP has arisen, can be a mean city, with deeply entrenched interests. The rapturous applause with which south Delhi and the club set had received the results is giving way to caution, a cunning reserve, eyeing both sides of the street.
This lot has been rattled by AAP. These are also powerful vested interests, which will fight tooth and nail for their survival. Every trick in the book, social media, stings and manageable news channels will be used to demoralize AAP.
In sharp contrast, are the tribe made famous by Sangeeta Richard in New York — the domestic workers. They sit huddled in groups in the park near my house along with the rickshaw drivers who have parked their vehicle outside the Metro station. There is a resolve here to consolidate behind AAP. A section of the media is already showing its colors. It did not even wait for the swearing in ceremony. It bared its fangs well in advance. At his press conference, Chief Minister designate Arvind Kejriwal promised that AAP will fulfill its promises, “but you must realize that I have no magic wand.”
No sooner had Kejriwal uttered “magic wand” than the anchor of a channel interjected. “Look how prompt he is with his excuses.” So the honeymoon period with the media may be short lived.
Corporate interests who control the media have gauged that AAP is not just a flash in the pan. It has national potential and could therefore disrupt larger game plans. A year ago, the media had hyped up a Narendra Modi versus Rahul Gandhi campaign. Modi rose to the bait but Rahul did not. Somehow, the Confederation of Indian Industry roped him in for an hour’s solo performance in April, which did not set the Yamuna on fire. Word went out that he would concentrate on building up the party.
The Dec. 8 election results must have disturbed India Inc. on several counts. The Congress was sinking; BJP did stand its ground in all four states but there was no discernible Modi magic. Upsetting all calculations, AAP came to power in Delhi within a year of being born.
The scenario is encouraging for regional formations. In this framework, even AAP is a regional force. And yet, unlike the Dravida parties or caste parties in UP and Bihar, AAP is neutral in terms of caste, community and linguistic regionalism. Since it was born in the nation’s capital, it looks much more cosmopolitan and all embracing.
Against this backdrop, what is the future for the Modi versus Rahul format? And, danger of dangers, should Snoopgate catch up with Modi, what future for him?

Saeed Naqvi