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The Capital City State of Delhi is undergoing a long period of administrative paralysis, as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and three of his ministers are keeping away from office and sitting in dharna at the Lt Governor’s (LG) official residence. Clearly, many files are not moving, even granted that this state government enjoys very little powers. Interestingly, some ministers are attending to office matters. The situation was caused by a stand-off between the Kejriwal government and top bureaucrats. The officials are allegedly on a confrontation course by not taking calls from ministers and not attending meetings called by them. The Lt Governor’s promise to sort out matters, for the past three months, has not led to a breakthrough in the complex situation. This situation arose on an alleged event that occurred in the CM’s office where the Chief Secretary was supposedly manhandled by Aam Aadmi Party cadres.
At the core of the CM’s present protest is the issue of Centre-State relations. Kejriwal says the situation was brought to such a pass by the action of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government in taking away powers from the Delhi government regarding transfer and postings of officials while other state governments enjoy this power. Officials now feel the CM and his ministers cannot take any steps against them even if their actions could be termed as indiscipline, it is alleged.
Delhi is a state with extremely limited powers. Policing, or law and order, is also vested in the hands of the Union Government, for the reason that VVIP movements in the capital, including those of foreign dignitaries, could not be left in the hands of a local establishment. There may be merit to this argument, and this worked without hitches when the Congress ruled both Delhi and the Centre in the years before 2016. Prior to that, the first state government of Delhi led by late Sahib Singh Verma of BJP also managed to have a smooth period. The officials’ complaint against the AAP government is of rough behaviour and even manhandling of officials by ruling AAP leaders, most of them activists-turned politicians. The cultures clashed. Kejriwal’s argument is also that the officers would not indulge in acts of defiance against the ministers without tacit support from the Modi-led government; and that the Modi government wants the state government to be a lame duck long before the next assembly polls.
In a democracy like India, where a set of provinces or states function under the overall umbrella of a Union Government, proper upkeep of Centre-State relations is of utmost importance. At the core of this concept, as is explained in the Constitution, governance is done on the principle of the nation being federal but unitary, with certain key powers vested in the Centre and other powers with states. Delhi, however, is caught in between, and allegations are that powers of the Delhi government are progressively being reduced. Two parties — one a national party and the other its regional rival — wielding power at the two levels adds to the complications.
The scenario of such complications arising, off and on, needs to be minimised if not possible to altogether avoid. Today’s ruling party will sit in the Opposition tomorrow, and vice versa, as is the case with a functional democracy. It is here that the importance of laying out proper systems and preservation of such systems assume importance. It’s easy to demolish a system for sectarian or political interests; but it takes a lot of effort to set systems in place and have the will to maintain them. Adhering to healthy precedents could be a good beginning. The issue does not limit itself to Delhi, but to Centre-State relations as a whole. The different yardsticks being adopted by governors of various states in installing and removing ministries – as was seen in recent times – undercuts the spirit of the Constitution and the systems envisaged in it.
The support extended to the Delhi Chief Minister by four other chief ministers – of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala – when they together went up Saturday night to express their moral support to the CM on the sit-in, is noteworthy. It is also indication of the step-by-step strengthening of the unity in the Opposition ranks in the run-up to the next General Elections. They have joined hands to take up the issues raised by the Delhi CM and stress on proper maintenance of Centre-State relations, at their speeches in the Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi. The issue they raised is important, and must be seen beyond considerations of politics. PM Modi, too, has to realise that no single individual or party, no matter how strong they may seem momentarily, can possibly hold on to the seats of power forever. Setting healthy good governance standards may help him create a legacy that the people of this country would remember fondly. Instead, the way he presently operates, creates an impression that selfish motives are at play and the larger interest of the nation has been put on back burners.
