 | « Back to article | Print this article |
From the time he first rose to prominence during the movement against the then UPA government, Arvind Kejriwal has regularly grabbed headlines for his surprise moves and decisions.
Utkarsh Mishra/Rediff.com lists 10 such instances.
Arvind Kejriwal's announcement to resign as Delhi chief minister took everyone by surprise.
The first sitting CM in the country to be arrested did not quit when he was jailed, but did so soon after getting bail from the Supreme Court.
That's typical Kejriwal. From the time he came to the limelight over a decade ago during the India Against Corruption agitation against the then United Progressive Alliance government, Kejriwal has learnt the art of being in the headlines.
Here are 10 such instances.
Fought the Congress and then joined hands with it
The first time Kejriwal became chief minister of Delhi in 2013, he did so with support from the Congress. His election campaign was centered on opposing the then Congress CM Sheila Dikshit and he left no chance to call the party corrupt. He even promised not to take support from the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party in the event of a hung verdict.
Yet, after the elections resulted in the BJP being the single largest party winning 31 of 70 seats, while the AAP won 28 and the Congress got eight, Kejriwal formed a minority government with outside support from the Congress. This after the fact that he had defeated Sheila Dikshit in the New Delhi constituency by over 25,000 votes.
FIR against Mukesh Ambani
Soon after forming the government, Kejriwal took an unprecedented step when he ordered Delhi's anti-corruption bureau to file a first information report against Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani. It was alleged that Reliance deliberately reduced natural gas production from the KG-D6 block to create a shortage, thereby pressuring the Centre to allow it to increase prices.
The FIR also named former oil minister M Veerappa Moily and his predecessor Murli Deora, both from the Congress that was supporting Kejriwal's government from outside. They were accused of colluding with Reliance.
Reliance expressed 'shock' over the Delhi government's action and issued a statement rejecting the charges. Moily also called the charges baseless and hit out at Kejriwal. Legal experts questioned the Delhi government's authority to do so as it was a 'central subject'.
However, after initially grabbing public attention, the case soon faded away and has not led to any major legal outcome.
Resigning after 49 days, and a dharna on road
Days after ordering the FIR against Ambani and others, Kejriwal surprisingly tendered his resignation on February 14, 2014, citing failure to bring the anti-corruption Jan Lokpal Bill in the assembly.
He blamed the Congress and the BJP for 'colluding to stall his government's anti-corruption efforts because he had filed an FIR against Ambani'.
However, before resigning, Kejriwal held a dharna near Rajpath against the Centre's 'refusal' to act against policemen whom he had accused of 'misconduct' and 'dereliction of duty'.
It was perhaps the first time when a sitting CM was holding a dharna during which he slept and ate on the road. It was meant to be a 10-day protest but ended on the third day as the policemen in question were 'sent on leave'.
Kejriwal's decision led to President's Rule in Delhi for the next one year.
He later regretted resigning without explaining his reasons to people.
Fresh elections were held in Delhi in February 2015, in which the AAP won by a thumping majority, winning 67 of 70 seats, bringing Kejriwal back at the helm.
Incessant tussles with LGs
Chief Minister Kejriwal worked with three lieutenant governors -- Najeeb Jung, Anil Baijal and the incumbent V K Saxena. He had issues with all of them.
Since the beginning of his term, Kejriwal and his ministers always explicitly stated that the control of Delhi services and law and order were not with them.
Kejriwal and his ministers never left a chance to tell the public that the LG was blocking their decisions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's instructions. The party often put up hoardings and advertisements saying how the Kejriwal government's hands were tied as the LG 'returned' all their files.
In May 2015, the ministry of home affairs issued a notification saying that the LG had the final decision on matters related to police, public order, land and services, and that the Delhi ACB could not investigate central government employees.
The Kejriwal government challenged this notification, but the Delhi high court verdict was not in its favour, which said that the LG had 'complete control of all matters regarding National Capital Territory of Delhi'.
However, deciding the Delhi government's appeal in the matter, the Supreme Court on May 11, 2023, granted it executive control over services-related matters, including appointments and transfers of bureaucrats.
But a week later, the Centre brought in a legislation to again tilt the balance in the LG's favour.
Mohalla clinics
After coming to power for the second term, the Kejriwal government set up primary health centres called Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics across Delhi in October 2015.
It has been the AAP's flagship initiative which the party often uses aggressively in its election campaigns.
However, the Delhi vigilance department found irregularities with the mohalla clinics in 2017 and later, the LG ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the functioning of clinics.
The allegations include lack of basic healthcare services, essential medicines, equipment and trained professionals, overbilling by doctors by inflating the number of patients, and lack of transparency in land allotments.
The AAP government has denied all allegations and the clinics remain a critical part of Delhi's healthcare strategy.
Odd-even scheme
To reduce vehicular pollution, the Delhi government introduced the odd-even road rationing scheme in January 2016. It was the first time this scheme was experimented in India and so the people were intrigued by it.
The scheme involved restrictions on the movement of private cars based on their registration number plates. However, several vehicles were exempted from the scheme, including those driven by women, used by emergency services and government functionaries and public transport.
The scheme led to mixed results with some studies claiming reduction in pollution while others calling its impact 'minimal'.
The scheme was last implemented in November 2019.
The government has said that it will bring the scheme back as and when it will be needed.
Demanding video proof of surgical strikes
About a week after the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir in September 2016, Kejriwal issued a video hailing Prime Minister Modi, but also said that the government should issue clips of the operation 'to counter Pakistan's propaganda' denying the strikes took place.
His statements led to major political controversy, with the BJP saying that he was questioning the veracity of the army's claims.
With criticism mounting, Kejriwal had to issue a clarification that his intention was not to question the army but to counter Pakistan's narrative.
'Soft Hindutva': Flaunting religious identity
Kejriwal claims that he is against politics based on caste and religion. Nonetheless, he has often introduced himself as a 'Hanuman bhakt' during election campaigns and even recited the Hanuman Chalisa during a television interview.
Apart from Raj Ghat, he and his colleagues are often seen visiting the Hanuman temple at Connaught Place before and after any major decision or event.
His government launched a pilgrimage scheme -- Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra Yojna -- that provides senior citizens with free travel to various pilgrimage centres, including Ayodhya.
In the run-up to the Ram temple consecration ceremony on January 22 this year, the Kejriwal government held Sundarkand recitation programmes across Delhi.
All this has led to allegations that the party is 'peddling soft Hindutva', which often found led to him being criticised by his secular allies.
Renovation of official residence
In 2023, the Kejriwal government was accused of excessively spending taxpayer's money on renovation of the CM's official bungalow.
A vigilance report in May 2023 said that the public works department spent Rs 52.71 crore (Rs 57.1 million) on Kejriwal's official residence complex.
The Comptroller and Auditor General began a special audit of the bungalow in June, while the CBI initiated an inquiry in the matter in September 2023.
In July 2024, two PWD officials were suspended.
It led to a major criticism of Kejriwal and his party who always spoke against 'VIP culture' in politics.
The party, on its part, defended the action, saying the 80-year-old bungalow was 'dilapidated and needed renovation'.
New excise policy and arrest
The case that led to Kejriwal's arrest was related to the new excise policy that his government implemented in November 2021 to 'modernise alcohol sales in Delhi'.
However, less than a year later, the policy was withdrawn after vehement opposition and allegations of procedural irregularities.
But before that, the LG recommended a CBI probe into the policy based on a report by the chief secretary of Delhi.
The Enforcement Directorate registered a separate case, accusing AAP leaders of receiving kickbacks from liquor businesses.
In February 2023, Kejriwal's second-in-command Manish Sisodia was arrested.
About a year later, on March 21, 2024, Kejriwal was arrested by ED and later by the CBI.