[1]From 'I am Anna' to 'I am Arvind', the irony was not lost on those who have seen the dramatic transition from what was once a 'people’s movement' to a 'political' one.
Rain-soaked Arvind Kejriwal, ignoring Kiran Bedi’s advice, ushered in what he called a 'political revolution' here on Sunday.
Kiran Bedi, who wanted to target the UPA, not the BJP, stayed away from Sunday’s protest, and also warned that the 'Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption cannot become the alternative to the existing political system overnight'.
Braving teargas, water cannons and even lathicharge, Team Arvind’s show of strength to protest 'corruption in allocation of coal blocks' came a month after it announced it will start a political party, expected to be unveiled on October 30.
Unlike the sober Anna Hazare, Kejriwal showed the group’s militant face, suddenly appearing on Race Course Road, even though the plan was to meet at Jantar Mantar.
IAC activists later managed to get Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, who were detained, freed from Mandir Marg police station after strong protests. They stopped the police taking them to Bawana on Delhi’s
outskirts.
In the evening, Kejriwal called off the protest, claiming their goals were achieved.
Kejriwal becoming movement’s face
While Gandhian activist Anna Hazare appears to have taken a backseat, Arvind Kejriwal is now becoming the face of the movement, with the likes of Kiran Bedi and former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde distancing themselves.
However, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia, Kumar Viswas and Gopal Rai have thrown their weight behind Mr Kejriwal in the run-up to the unveiling of a political party on October 30.
Buoyed over by the show of strength, Kejriwal claimed 'this political revolution will sweep the country in the time to come', while adding that 'there is no Opposition as all parties are hand-in-glove with the Congress'.
IAC activists punctured buses to foil the police plan to swiftly clear the Prime Minister’s residence on Race Course Road, Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s residence on Janpath and BJP chief Nitin Gadkari’s residence on Tughlaq Road. This enabled the activists to hold on to the street longer, while unhindered Metro services brought in scores of supporters.
The police resorted to lobbing teargas and water-cannon and limited lathicharge when the activists jumped the barricades.
Kejriwal-led IAC can’t become the alternative overnight: Bedi
However, Kiran Bedi noted the active support by the BJP to their movement for Jan Lokpal in the form of moving an amendment in the Lok Sabha by Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj for independence to the CBI and not allowing the passage of the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
The activist appeared to be breaking ranks with erstwhile Team Anna by skipping a protest against corruption over differences on targeting BJP, saying they cannot forget the support from the opposition party in some ways on Lokpal bill.
She also said that the Arvind Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption cannot become the alternative to existing political system 'overnight'.
Though Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan insisted earlier in the day that she will come to Jantar Mantar and join the protest, Bedi did not make it and said she had informed them of her personal perspective.
She was opposed to targeting BJP on the coal block allocation issue by gheraoing the residence of BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and has been arguing in the group to focus on Congress as it is the ruling party.
Kejriwal said on Saturday that Kiran Bedi was 'completely' with them and 'there could be two view point on any issue'. But he admitted that her viewpoint was 'slightly different' on the issue.
“I had informed the team my personal perspective, that we ought to focus on the ruling party as bracketing opposition right now when they are already attacking the ruling party will in fact benefit only the party in power. They obviously firmed up their mind,” Kiran Bedi asid.
Asked about skipping the protest, the former IPS officer said she has nothing whatsoever to do with any political formation nor she was being soft. “I am just being realistic,” she said.
Noting that she was aware of the allegations against many in opposition, she said the question now is about the focus and the focus should be now on the 'main culprit, the ruling party'.
“India needs honest political leadership and I look forward to widespread changes. But we got to be patient and inclusive. Without losing possible quarters of support even if we have ideological difference with them,” she said.
Warning against bracketing everybody as corrupt, Kiran Bedi said that at the 'end of the day, if we paint all black but who will get us what the country needs now and in the near future? IAC cannot be an alternative overnight, it will take time'.
1,000 detained, five cases registered
Five cases were on Sunday registered against unknown people for rioting and violating prohibitory orders in connection with the protest of erstwhile Team Anna during which around 1,000 people were detained, including activists Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan.
Twenty-one people, including 15 policemen, were injured when security personnel used force and water cannons and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the crowd.
Links:
[1] http://103.241.136.51/jerkkgjpgcropdisplayjpg-183